: 


/.     :.' 


IUUV.  OF  GALIF.  UBRARY.  LOS  ANGELES 


[See  p.  7 

'WERE  YOU  THERE  ALL  THE  TIME,  ANNETTE?'  HE  ASKED" 


A    KIDNAPPED 
COLONY 


BY 

MARY    RAYMOND 
SHIPMAN    ANDREWS 


ILLUSTRATED  BY 
E.  M.  ASHE 


NEW    YORK    AND     LONDON 

HARPER     &     BROTHERS 

PUBLISHERS        J«        MCMIII 


Copyright,  1903,  by  HAKI-ER  &  BROTHERS. 

j4II  rights  reserved. 
Published  October,  1903. 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

"WERE  YOU  THERE  ALL  THE  TIME,  AN- 
NETTE?' HE  ASKED" Frontispitct 

'PATTERING  RAPIDLY  OVER  THE  LAWN 
WAS  THE  EAGER  LITTLE  FIGURE  OF 

MISS    BIBBE" Facing  f    66 

'THE  BOY  MOVED  UNEASILY  AGAINST  LIND- 
SAY'S ARM" .,  .  "  138 

'MRS.  CLINTON  APPEARED  AGAINST  THE 
LIGHT,  AND  BEHIND  HER  THE  GIRL  HE 
LOVED".  .  .  "  168 


21265G6 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 


PROLOGUE 

HOEVER  knows  John  Lind- 
say will  find  no  impossibil- 
ity in  this  short,  suppressed 
chapter  of  his  history.  And 
no  one  who  does  not  know 
the  man  will  think  of  taking  it  as  anything 
but  pure  fiction.  Every  one  has  two  sides, 
but  Lindsay  is  an  octagon.  Uppermost  is 
his  charm,  which  the  elevator  boy  feels,  and 
the  lady  he  takes  out  to  dinner.  There  is 
in  him  a  shrewd  business  ability,  and  with 
it  a  reckless  vein  which  seems  out  of  draw- 
ing till  you  have  boxed  the  compass  of  his 
qualities.  Add  to  force  and  charm  a  strik- 
ing physical  beauty  and  a  sweetness  and 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

purity  of  character  felt  as  surely  as  if  he 
were  five  instead  of  thirty-five,  and  one 
may  perhaps  realize  how  miraculously  he 
fitted  into  the  slip  of  the  kaleidoscope  that 
brought  about  an  extraordinary  week. 


A  KIDNAPPED  COLONY 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 


HE  Trinidad,  which,  sailed  at 
five,  had  left  New  York  Bay 
behind,  and  the  land  of  the 
free  was  fast  evaporating  in  a 
red-and-orange  sunset.  The 
passengers  had  mostly  gone  below  to  what 
would  prove  for  many  of  them  their  last 
meal  for  more  than  two  days ;  but  a  solitary 
exception  stood  by  the  rail  of  the  after- 
deck  and  looked  down  pensively  at  the 
dark,  lashing  waves.  A  tall  young  Eng- 
lishman, whose  ugly  and  peculiar  features 
were  full  of  intelligence  and  attraction, 
belated  for  his  dinner,  rushed  from  one  of 
the  deck  cabins,  and,  seeing  the  slender 
figure,  stopped  short. 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

"Mrs.  Clinton!  Aren't  you  going  down 
to  dinner?" 

The  young  woman  turned  a  piquant  face 
towards  him,  and  shook  her  head  slowly. 

"Ah,  but  don't  give  in  like  that,  you 
know.  You'd  much  better,  really.  It's  all 
a  question  of  will,  don't  you  know." 

Her  eyes  flashed.  ' '  That's  the  one  speech 
I  won't  have,  Mr.  Ogilvie.  It  isn't  a  ques- 
tion of  will  any  more  than  measles.  You 
don't  know  anything  about  it  if  you  say 
so."  She  lifted  large,  gray  eyes  to  him, 
with  a  look  of  appeal  that  had  been  the 
finish  of  better  men.  "You  don't  think 
I'm  sea -sick,  do  you?"  she  demanded, 
pathetically.  "I'm  trying  to  believe  I'm 
just — not  hungry." 

Ogilvie  gave  in  at  once.    "  Right  you  are. 
Don't  think  you're  ill,  and  you  won't  be. 
Perhaps  you'd  better  stay  up,  but  let  me 
have  a  bit  of  dinner  sent  you." 
2 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

Mrs.  Clinton  made  a  quick  gesture. 
"  Don't  say  such  things.  Go  along  and 
dine,  and  then  come  and  make  me  forget 
my  troubles." 

So  Ogilvie  disappeared  down  the  gang- 
way, with  a  last  admonition  to  "Be  sure 
you  don't  get  chilled,"  and  Mrs.  Clinton, 
turning  her  back  again,  and  leaning  across 
the  rail,  watched  the  white,  dashing  wake 
of  the  ship. 

A  passenger,  a  man  of  thirty-five  or  so, 
with  one  arm  swinging  in  a  great  white 
sling,  and  followed  by  a  valet,  came  out 
from  the  deck -room  farthest  aft,  and  was 
settled  with  rugs  in  a  steamer-chair,  in  a 
protected  corner,  and  as  he  stood,  steady- 
ing himself  against  the  edge  of  the  cabin 
while  the  chair  was  straightened  and  the 
rugs  spread,  that  great  man  the  captain, 
bustling  down  to  his  dinner,  came  upon 
them,  and  stopped  short,  his  eyes  falling 
3 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

upon  the  initials  "  J.  B.  L."  in  large,  black 
letters  on  the  steamer-chair,  and  then  upon 
the  bandaged  arm  in  its  conspicuous  sling. 
With  a  start  his  beefy  hand  flew  to  his  cap, 
and  he  stood  bareheaded  and  bowing  be- 
fore the  stranger,  who  turned  upon  him 
wide,  beautiful  dark  eyes  with  deep  circles 
beneath  them  that  told  of  suffering. 

"  Good  -  evening,  sir,"  said  the  captain. 
"Why,  good  -  evening,  sir!  This  is  truly 
an  unexpected  pleasure,"  with  increasing 
volubility  and  affability.  "Fancy,  sir,  I 
didn't  know  you  were  on  board!  We 
understood  that  your  arm  was  so  bad  it 
would  prevent  our  having  the  pleasure  of 
taking  you  down  this  trip,  sir.  We  got 
word  to  that  effect,  sir." 

The  passenger,  with  a  puzzled  expression, 

stared  at  him.     "The  devil  you  did!"  was 

all  he  said.     But  he  needed  to  say  nothing 

else,    for    the    captain's    vocabulary    was 

4 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

more  than  enough  for  two.  He  went  on 
in  an  eager  torrent  of  suavity. 

"So  glad  you're  finding  yourself  com- 
fortable enough  to  travel,  sir.  If  there's 
anything  we  can  do  for  you  that's  been 
overlooked,  kindly  have  your  man  notify 
me.  The  trip  down  should  do  you  a  world 
of  good,  sir." 

The  valet  was  helping  his  master  into 
his  chair,  and  the  captain  carefully  steadied 
him  on  the  other  side.  "There,  my  man, 
we  mustn't  jostle  his  Excellency's  arm,"  he 
warned  the  servant. 

The  stranger's  dark  face  brightened  with 
a  charming  smile.  "Thanks,  captain,"  he 
said;  "you're  very  good.  But  what  do 
you  mean  by  saying  you  got  word  about 
my  arm?" 

"Oh,  didn't  you  send  us  word  yourself, 
sir?"  asked  the  captain.  "However,  it's 
of  no  importance  now,  is  it  ?  You're 

5 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

having  dinner  on  deck,  quietly,  I  see. 
You've  given  the  steward  your  orders,  sir? 
Very  good.  Kindly  remember  that  any- 
thing I  can  do  for  you  is  a  privilege — the 
ship  is  entirely  at  your  service.  But  I 
mustn't  disturb  you  longer.  Good -even- 
ing, your  Excellency."  And  with  another 
impressive  sweep  of  his  cap  the  voluble 
captain  was  gone. 

Mrs.  Clinton,  not  noticing  the  two  first- 
comers  on  the  empty  deck,  had  turned  at 
the  sound  of  the  officer's  big  voice  and 
stood  a  few  feet  away,  a  slight,  swaying 
figure,  in  her  long  coat,  listening  as  he 
talked.  As  his  large  back  disappeared 
around  the  corner  of  the  cabin,  she  tripped 
forward  with  a  gay  little  sandpiper  walk 
that  was  charming  in  her,  and  her  whole, 
irregular,  fascinating,  small  face  gleamed 
with  excitement. 

"Jack!"  she  said.  "Oh,  Jack!"  and  the 
6 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

man  in  the  chair,  turning  his  head  a  bit 
stiffly  over  the  lame  arm,  looked  at  her. 

"Were  you  there  all  the  time,  Annette?" 
he  asked.  "  I  didn't  see  you." 

"Jack,  don't  talk!"  cried  Mrs.  Clinton. 
"Let  me  talk!  There's  the  most  stupen- 
dous possibility  opening  before  us.  Didn't 
you  understand  what  the  captain"  —  she 
stopped  suddenly  and  looked  at  the  im- 
passive valet.  "  Isn't  O'Neill  going  to  see 
to  your  dinner?"  she  asked. 

"That's  all,  O'Neill,"  said  his  master. 
"Yes,  dinner  at  once.  You  may  go  now." 

Little  Mrs.  Clinton  dropped  into  another 
chair,  and,  her  tiny  face  flushed,  her  gray 
eyes  burning  like  coals,  began  to  talk 
to  him.  With  affectionate  amusement  he 
listened  a  minute — two  minutes.  Then  he 
started,  then  laughed  and  shook  his  head. 

"You  can't  seriously  think  I'd  do  such 
a  thing,"  he  said,  "Annette." 
7 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

The  soft,  full  voice,  with  the  indescribable 
finish  of  accent  that  voices  have  which 
speak  several  languages,  went  on  eagerly. 
On  and  on.  And  the  man,  listening, 
laughed  and  protested,  and  threw  in  a 
gentle  word  or  two  of  sarcasm  first,  of 
interest  and  amusement  afterwards.  And 
there  was  the  steward,  shooting  across  the 
deck,  after  the  reckless  manner  of  stewards, 
with  an  enormous  tray.  Mrs.  Clinton  di- 
rected him,  talked  to  him,  joked  with  him, 
so  that  the  real  consignee  of  the  dinner 
had  no  chance  for  a  word.  And  as  he 
went  off,  smiling  and  purring,  she  called  to 
him  softly. 

"Steward!" 

He  turned,  still  smiling,  at  the  gangway. 

"Will  you  be  good  enough  to  send  the 
Governor's  man,  O'Neill?  Just  tell  O'Neill 
that  Mrs.  Clinton  wants  him  at  once." 
With  emphasis  on  her  own  name. 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

"Annette,"  said  the  man  in  the  chair, 
his  eyebrows  drawn  together,  his  mouth 
grave,  "this  won't  do.  I  can't  be  forced 
into—" 

Annette  interrupted  him.  "Of  course 
not,  Jack.  Excuse  me.  I  suppose  I  really 
shouldn't" — then  she  interrupted  herself. 
"There's  Mr.  Ogilvie — oh,  good!"  And  she 
flew  across  the  deck  lightly  to  the  tall 
figure  of  the  young  Englishman  just  issu- 
ing from  the  doorway. 

Rapidly,  eagerly,  in  the  plaintive  voice 
that  pulled  at  heart-strings,  she  talked  to 
him.  The  young  man's  peculiar,  monkey- 
like  face,  with  a  bright,  winter-apple  color, 
and  lines  marked  deeply  in  a  leathery 
skin,  was  on  a  broad  grin  at  once,  and 
after  a  moment  he  burst  out  with  a  startled 
shout  of  laughter. 

"  By  Jove!"  he  said.     And  then,  "  Don't 
see   why   not.     I   could   manage   it.     Not 
9 


J 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

another  boat  down  for  a  week.  Cable's 
often  out  of  order.  I  could  arrange  that. 
I've  all  the  papers.  Jove!  Revenge  is 
sweet,  and  I  owe  the  old  boy  one  for  this 
deal.  Don't  see  why  not!" 

A  moment  later  Mrs.  Clinton,  advancing 
ceremoniously  by  the  side  of  the  tall  Mr. 
Ogilvie  to  the  man  in  the  steamer-chair, 
said, "  Governor  Lindsay,  it's  curious  you've 
not  met  before,  but  I  want  to  present  to 
you  your  nephew  and  new  secretary,  Mr. 
Theodore  Ogilvie." 

The  man  addressed  as  Governor  Lindsay 
dropped  quickly  the  paper  he  had  been 
reading,  put  out  a  friendly  hand  to  the 
young  Englishman,  and  looked  up  at  him 
with  the  same  winning  smile  which  had 
charmed  the  captain.  "You'll  excuse  me 
for  sitting  still,"  he  said.  "It's  quite  a 
trick  for  me  to  get  up  and  down  just  now." 
He  glanced  at  the  sling,  and  then,  "You 
10 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

don't  hold  me  responsible  for  Mrs.  Clinton, 
I  hope,  Mr.  Ogilvie?" 

But  at  that  Mrs.  Clinton,  never  silent 
for  long,  took  up  the  tale.  "Jack,  I'm 
going  to  leave  you  in  Mr.  Ogilvie's  hands, 
for  I  see  O'Neill,  and  I  have  a  surgical 
operation  to  perform  on  O'Neill's  brain." 
And  she  was  off. 

The  conversation  between  the  two  men 
was  evidently  interesting  to  both.  It  was 
mostly  on  Ogilvie's  side  at  first,  the  older 
man  listening,  laughing,  and  shaking  his 
head.  But  gradually  he  asked  questions 
and  showed  a  less  impersonal  concern  in 
the  answer  to  each.  The  mask  of  in- 
difference which  he  wore,  and  which  was 
betrayed  as  a  mask  at  every  turn  by  the 
swift  changes  of  expression  in  his  eyes, 
dropped  at  last,  and  the  whole  face  was 
alight  with  the  look  which  a  general's 
might  have  as  he  planned  a  dashing  coup— 
ii 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

a  look  of  alertness  and  daring.  He  threw 
in  rapid  sentences,  to  each  of  which  Ogilvie 
nodded,  before  they  could  be  finished,  with 
eager  satisfaction. 

Then,  "Listen,"  he  said,  and  he  put  his 
hand  on  the  younger  man's  arm  and  talked 
for  five  minutes,  in  quick,  incisive  tones. 
"I  think  it  could  be  done  so,"  he  said. 
"  Of  course,  most  men  would  call  me  a  fool," 
he  went  on,  with  the  air  of  one  thinking 
aloud.  "But  there  is  no  one  to  consider 
but  myself,  and  I  choose  to  see  if  I  can 
be  equal  to  a  situation  of  the  sort.  My 
Eton  schooling  is  a  pull,  you  see.  And 
it  is  the  most  extraordinary  combination 
of  circumstances  —  everything  fits.  Not 
once  in  a  century  could  a  bundle  of  acci- 
dents dovetail  in  this  way.  By  George, 
I'll  do  it!"  He  laid  his  left  hand  on  the 
young  Englishman's  arm.  A  dare-devil 
look  flamed  hotly  into  his  eyes,  and  then 
12 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

he  laughed  the  sudden,  radiant  laugh  which 
made  his  face  unreasonably  boyish. 

"Jove!  the  worst  fear  is  that  you  look 
too  young,"  growled  Teddy  Ogilvie  through 
his  wrinkled  smile. 

"O'Neill,  my  man,  has  made  me  up  for 
theatricals  a  number  of  times,"  answered 
the  other  with  apparent  irrelevance.  Then 
he  stared  reflectively  out  across  the  rail  to 
the  slowly  lifting  and  falling  ocean.  "  I  had 
a  business  interest  as  well,  but  it  was  more 
or  less  incidental.  I  have  quite  a  batch  of 
stock  in  a  new  company  now  forming  to 
develop  —  but  it's  not  worth  while  going 
into  explanations.  I  can  let  business  go  for 
a  while." 

"You're  not  unlikely  to  fall  into  a  bit  of 
it,  of  a  sort,"  said  Teddy  Ogilvie.  "  Always 
more  or  less  business  to  running  a  colony. 
I've  been  at  the  diplomatic  job  since  my 
school-days,  don't  you  know — secretary  to 
13 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

three  governors  already — so  I  know  some- 
thing about  it.  Just  now  there  is  a  fad  on 
to  bother  about  the  future  of  Bermuda — 
future  of  an  onion-patch !  You'll  knock  up 
against  one  or  two  of  the  men  the  first  thing. 
There's  one  on  board  —  good  chap,  too." 
People  were  coming  up  now  from  dinner  in 
batches  of  twos  and  threes.  Ogilvie  lifted 
his  eyes  and  glanced  searchingly  along  the 
deck.  "There  he  is,"  he  said,  and  nodded 
towards  a  stout,  commonplace  -  looking 
American  who  stood,  with  his  hands  in  his 
pockets,  thoughtfully  chewing  a  large  cigar. 

Lindsay  raised  fastidious  eyebrows. 

"Oh  yes!  He's  all  of  that,"  Ogilvie  re- 
sponded, promptly.  "  But  he's  quite  a 
wonderful  chap,  give  you  my  word.  Down 
three  months  last  winter,  a  personality  and 
a  power.  Charity  concert  at  Government 
House  brought  him  out.  Somebody  started 
him  at  it,  and  he  made  it  a  success.  Nobody 
14 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

knows  why,  but  he  has  the  knack  of  man- 
aging people.  Knows  every  one — every  one 
likes  him.  Queer,  isn't  it?  Enormously 
rich,  don't  you  know.  Going  to  build  a 
system  of  hotels  in  California  on  the  Flor- 
ida plan,  they  say ;  rather  think  he's  sizing 
up  Bermuda  with  the  same  idea." 

Lindsay  looked  at  the  unconscious  great 
man  curiously.  "  Well,  he  may  be  rich  and 
he  may  be  intelligent,"  he  said,  doubtfully, 
"  but  he's  rather  wild  and  woolly  to  look  at." 

Down  the  deck  moved  the  capitalist,  and 
as  he  neared  the  two  men  Ogilvie  heaved 
up  his  long  length  to  meet  him.  The  stout 
man's  face  broke  into  a  beaming  smile  of 
genuine  joy,  and  a  voice  whose  simplicity 
of  friendliness  went  far  to  explain  the  pop- 
ularity of  which  Ogilvie  had  spoken  gave 
greeting. 

"  Hello,  Teddy !  Glad  to  see  you !  Mighty 
glad  to  see  you!  Lookin'  well,  my  boy! 
15 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

Prettier  than  ever,"  and  an  echoing  slap  on 
the  shoulder  emphasized  his  words. 

Now  if  a  decidedly  vulgar  American  meets 
after  this  manner  a  well-bred  young  Eng- 
lishman, however  keen  for  the  funny  side  of 
life,  the  chances  are  that  he  will  be  snubbed. 
But  there  was  a  quality  of  joyful  innocence, 
of  gentle  dignity  in  this  man's  familiarity 
that  made  snubbing  him  like  stealing  the 
milk  from  a  blind  kitten. 

Hotchkiss,  pleased,  but  unembarrassed 
as  a  child  or  a  royal  personage,  to  meet 
the  new  Governor  on  the  way  to  his  col- 
ony, took  the  reins  of  conversation  at  once 
in  his  large  hands,  and  with  the  skill  of  a 
man  who  can  drive  a  four-in-hand  or  a 
tandem  he  guided  the  ideas  of  the  party  as 
he  wished.  Lindsay  smiled  to  himself,  the 
shrewd  business  instinct  of  this  man  of 
business  was  so  evident  from  his  interest  in 
the  new  Governor  and  the  new  Governor's 
16 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

theories  about  Bermuda.  The  development 
of  the  islands,  their  importance  yet  inad- 
equacy as  a  coaling  station ;  the  great  fut- 
ure that  awaited  them  when  the  Isthmian 
Canal  should  be  finished  and  the  tiny  conti- 
nent should  be  a  port  of  call  between  it  and 
Europe  —  in  five  minutes  Hotchkiss  had 
touched  on  all  of  this  and  more,  and  in  ten 
he  had  the  Governor  to  himself,  interested 
and  surprised  by  the  dashing  programme 
which  this  vulgar  American  was  sketching 
in  quick,  firm  outlines  for  the  little  colony. 

"I  have  read  and  thought  a  little  about 
this,"  Lindsay  said,  reflectively. 

"Of  course  you  have  —  of  course  you 
have,"  Hotchkiss  assented,  heartily.  "You 
wouldn't  'a'  been  sent  down  here  to  admin- 
ister this  colony  if  you  hadn't.  Not  at 
your  age,  anyways.  And  I'll  venture  to 
say  that  you  won't  be  here  a  week  before 
you'll  see  that  the  cryin'  need  of  this  little 
17 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

cuss  of  a  country,  with  all  its  fine  future, 
is  locomotion.  Here  you  are."  He  put  a 
thumb  on  the  arm  of  Lindsay's  chair  and  a 
great  forefinger  a  hand-length  away.  ' '  Town 
o'  Hamilton,"  he  flapped  the  thumb.  "  Town 
o'  St.  George's,"  he  wiggled  the  forefinger. 
"  It's  fourteen  miles  between  them  two,  and 
not  a  way  to  travel  'em  except  by  boat  or 
by  carriage  or  by  the  feet  the  Lord  made 
you  with.  Ridiculous  —  ain't  it?  If  ever 
there  was  a  place  called  aloud  for  a  trolley 
line  it's  this  little  Bermuda." 

The  new  Governor  turned  his  boyish  face 
on  the  talker,  and  in  his  dark  eyes  was  a 
look  of  keen  watchfulness. 

The  American's  persuasive  voice  went 
on:  "  To  tell  you  the  facts,  Governor,  which 
ain't  known  to  every  one  yet,  there's  a 
scheme  afloat  for  puttin'  a  trolley  line  be- 
tween Hamilton  and  St.  George's.  It's  only 
a  side  issue  of  a  larger  scheme —  He 
18 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

stopped,  then  smiled  gently.  "We  ain't  up 
to  that  other  yet,  however.  But  the  trolley 
question  is  about  facin'  us.  The  company's 
organized  and  the  stock's  held  by  good  peo- 
ple, and  the  next  step  is  the  legislature  down 
yonder.  I'm  interested  in  it,  and  I'm  hop- 
in',  Governor,  that  when  you  get  to  your 
colony  and  look  over  the  lay  of  the  land 
you'll  think  well  of  the  plan,  and  see  it's 
for  the  good  of  the  islands,  and  will  help  us 
along  a  mite.  But  I  ain't  goin'  to  badger 
you  with  business  right  now — anybody  can 
see  you've  been  sufferin'  with  that  arm, 
too."  Hotchkiss's  kindly,  shrewd  face  was 
as  gentle  as  a  woman's  as  he  glanced  at 
the  new  Governor's  great  white  sling  and 
then  at  the  dark  shadows  under  his  eyes. 

The  Governor's  response  was  a  little  pe- 
culiar. "  By  the  Lord  Harry !"  was  what  he 
said,  slowly. 

There  was  a  light  rustling,  the  brush  of 
19 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

skirts  against  chairs,  and  Mrs.  Clinton's  tiny 
figure  blew,  on  a  gust  of  fresh  salt  breeze, 
around  the  corner,  as  sketchy,  as  crisp,  as 
a  picture  by  Gibson,  in  the  fading  light. 
Hotchkiss  smiled  up  at  her  with  affectionate 
admiration,  and  made  an  awkward  effort  to 
rise,  but  she  put  a  quick  little  hand  on  his 
arm. 

"  No,  nobody  is  to  be  polite  on  shipboard. 
You  mustn't." 

Hotchkiss  subsided  cheerfully.  "  Thought 
you  told  me  you  were  chaperonin'  a  young 
lady  down  this  trip,  Mrs.  Clinton?"  he  said. 
"Where  do  you  keep  her?" 

The  little  matron  gave  a  startled  glance 
about.  "Where  is  that  girl?  I  haven't 
seen  her  once — I  forgot  about  her ;  the  nicest 
girl  in  the  world,  too.  Governor  Lindsay, 
have  you  seen  Evelyn  Minor?" 

"I   didn't  know  there  was   an   Evelyn 
Minor,"  said  the  Governor,  indifferently. 
20 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

Mrs.  Clinton's  eyes  danced  in  her  old- 
young  face.  "You  may  not  be  as  casual 
when  you  know  her,  Governor  Lindsay. 
She's  a  most  attractive  person.  I'm  chap- 
eroning her  down  to  her  family,  who  are 
in  Bermuda,  and  you  see  how  well  I  do 
it.  My  theory  of  chaperoning  is  to  let  a 
girl  enjoy  herself.  She  is  probably  hav- 
ing a  beautiful  time  now,  all  because  I'm 
so  thoughtfully  letting  her  alone.  I  hope 
she  isn't  sea -sick.  I'll  see,"  and  as  if  a 
swallow  had  flown  with  lifting  of  light 
wings  the  dainty,  tan -colored  figure  dis- 
appeared. 

"Sweet  little  lady,"  remarked  Hotchkiss. 

"Yes,"  agreed  the  Governor,  tersely. 

"Much  admired  in  the  islands  last  win- 
ter," Hotchkiss  went  on.  "I  like  her  be- 
cause she's  always  havin'  a  good  time,  and 
because  she's  so  common." 

The  Governor's  head  turned  sharply. 
21 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

"Oh,  I  don't  mean  any  harm,  only  she 
ain't  too  good  to  be  friendly  with  everybody 
that  comes  along,  with  me  or  the  Governor 
or  the  nigger  bell-boy  at  the  Hamilton." 

"  Oh!"  said  the  Governor,  and  looked  up, 
for  the  subject  of  this  eulogy  was  again 
present.  By  her  side  stood  an  erect  young 
girl,  with  a  cloud  of  corn-colored  hair  and  a 
gentle  face  full  of  brightness  and  interest  in 
life. 

"She  wasn't  sea-sick,"  Mrs.  Clinton  an- 
nounced, with  satisfaction.  "  She  was  in  a 
crack  with  three  men." 

The  sunshiny  face  looked  slightly  an- 
noyed; Lindsay  helping  himself  to  Hotch- 
kiss's  shoulder,  stood  on  his  feet,  and  the 
silver  tinkle  of  Mrs.  Clinton's  tones  went  on, 
presenting  him. 

"Don't  try  to  stand,  Governor  Lindsay," 
said  Miss  Minor,  and  he  thought  how  pretty 
a  way  of  speaking  it  was,  a  little  jog  here  and 
22 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

there  in  such  soft  tones.  ' '  Do  sit  down — it's 
dangerous  for  your  arm,  the  boat  is  rolling 
so." 

"If  you  won't  go,"  said  the  Governor, 
and  there  was  such  heartfelt  alarm  in  the 
words  that  sudden  laughter  caught  them  all 
at  once. 

That  evening  as  Lindsay  stood,  his  lights 
out  and  O'Neill  gone,  at  the  porthole  of  the 
captain's  cabin,  which  had  been  transferred 
to  the  new  Governor,  he  stared  away  at  the 
dim,  rolling  stretch  of  moonlighted  ocean 
with  a  look  in  his  eyes,  if  any  one  had  seen 
it,  out  of  character  with  the  calm  majesty 
suitable  to  a  chief  executive,  and  repeated 
in  a  low  voice  the  words  that  he  had  spoken 
so  indifferently  that  afternoon. 

"I  didn't  know  there  was  an  Evelyn 
Minor,"  said  the  Governor. 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 


II 

HE  man  who  does  so  many 
miles  a  day  by  pedometer  if 
the  skies  fall  was  doing  it  on 
the  deck  of  the  Trinidad.  He 
had  to  turn  so  often  and 
dodge  so  much  that  the  rise  and  fall  of  the 
instrument  had  not  that  repose  which  makes 
the  Vere  de  Vere-ism  of  pedometers.  Yet 
the  fresh  salt  air,  and  the  proud  conscious- 
ness that  he  could  walk  while  many  suffered, 
kept  him  good-tempered.  His  interest  in 
life  was  keen.  There  was  not  much  life 
showing  on  deck.  Those  who  go  down  to 
the  sea  in  ships  tell  the  wayfaring  man  that 
the  trip  to  Bermuda  is  one  of  the  nastiest 
which  the  round  world  has  to  offer.  It  is 
24 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

the  English  Channel  three  days  long, '  and 
when,  at  the  worst,  the  steward  tells  you 
that  you  are  now  crossing  the  Gulf  Stream, 
it  seems  an  insufficient  excuse.  But  to  one 
who  is  that  offensive  character,  a  perfectly 
good  sailor,  to  one  who  can  puff  deadly, 
sickening  cigar -smoke  in  half -dead  faces 
and  gleefully  laugh  at  the  green  effect,  to 
such  a  one  the  voyage  is  a  crown  of  glory. 
Such  a  one  was  the  pedometer  man,  and  to 
him  each  pale  and  suffering  human  being 
who  had  crawled  painfully  above  and  lay 
gasping  in  the  sunshine  was  a  jewel  in  that 
crown.  It  seems  a  hall  -  mark  of  personal 
worthiness  to  the  well  man  not  to  be  sick  on 
shipboard.  The  boat  rolled  and  the  walker 
caught  his  balance  and  laughed  aloud  when 
he  climbed  a  descending  deck  and  landed 
with  a  gratuitous  prance  by  the  porthole  of 
the  captain's — now  the  Governor's — cabin. 
He  stopped  a  moment  and  leaned  against 
25 


D 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

the  wall  to  get  his  breath,  and  voices  floated 
out  to  him — the  Governor  had  guests.  Mrs. 
Clinton's  personality  was  so  distinctive  that 
already  all  persons  still  alive  on  the  Trinidad 
knew  it,  and  the  pedestrian  recognized  the 
accent  which  said: 

"It  is  the  bromide  of  sodium  alone  by 
which  I  live  and  have  my  being  on  this 
disgusting  ocean." 

"Is  the  Governor  having  a  convention 
on  remedies  for  sea-sickness?"  wondered  the 
man,  smilingly,  as  he  took  up  his  zigzag 
line  of  march.  He  little  knew  that  what  he 
had  heard  was  simply  a  random  arrow-shot 
capriciously  from  a  council-fire  of  warriors. 

Lindsay  took  his  place  as  centre  and 
leader  of  the  conspiracy,  as  unconsciously 
but  as  earnestly  here  as  in  a  board  meeting, 
where  methods  and  millions  were  involved, 
and  guided  and  pruned  the  suggestions, 
advice,  plans,  which  flowed  from  the  too- 
26 


n 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

fertile  brains  of  the  others.  "We  must  re- 
member, in  the  first  place,  that  there  will 
be  a  hundred  unforeseen  chances  every  day 
that  the  whole  thing  will  go  to  pieces  like 
that."  He  snapped  his  fingers.  "That  is 
in  the  game.  We  must  expect  it.  Our  best 
hope  lies  in  sticking  as  close  to  truth  as 
may  be  in  a  very  large  lie,  in  simplicity,  in 
masterly  inactivity.  It  is  going  to  be  excit- 
ing every  moment,  it  is  going  to  be  a  test 
for  nerve  and  brain ;  and  a  small  mistake  at 
any  point  may  be  the  finish.  Of  course,  it  is 
lunacy,  but  as  long  as  you  two  are  willing,  I 
will  do  it."  There  was  a  light  in  his  eyes 
which  told  of  a  headlong,  unreckoning  im- 
pulsiveness, oddly  linked  with  the  force,  the 
clearness,  and  ability  which  made  his  charac- 
ter, in  spite  of  this  curious  link  in  the  chain, 
a  strong  one.  A  drop  of  wild  blood  from 
some  old  swashbuckling  ancestor  surely  ran 
red  and  rampant  in  his  veins.  "Scratch 
27 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY     • 

a  Russian  and  you  will  find  a  Tartar." 
Scratch  any  high-strung  man  or  woman 
deeply  enough  and  in  the  right  nerve,  and 
a  spark  of  the  original  savage,  chastened  it 
may  be,  but  burning  and  hard  to  govern, 
will  flame  from  the  depths. 

Lindsay's  voice  was  full  of  the  gentleness 
of  generations  of  breeding  as  it  gave  forth 
his  intention  of  breaking  through  the  con- 
ventionalities of  nations.  "I'll  play  this 
Governor  part  for  all  I'm  worth,"  he  an- 
nounced, "and  from  what  you  both  tell  me 
there  ought  to  be  a  chance  for  a  week's  en- 
gagement, though,  as  I  said,  we  must  be 
prepared  to  be  caught  red-handed  at  any 
moment.  And  then  —  well,  I  don't  know 
much  about  international  law,  but  I  don't 
believe  there  is  any  statute  under  which 
they  can  prosecute  me  for  lifting  a  govern- 
ment. In  any  case,  I  am  willing  to  risk  it." 
He  turned  to  the  young  Englishman  with 
28 


U 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 


a  sudden  thought.  "  Of  course,  you  under- 
stand, Mr.  Ogilvie,  that  the  colony  won't  be 
a  shilling  the  worse  for  this.  I  shall  take 
care  that  every  possible  expense  is  covered. 
I  wouldn't  go  in  if  I  were  not  fully  able  to 
do  that." 

"Of  course,  of  course,"  agreed  Teddy 
Ogilvie.  "Glad  to  foot  the  bill  myself,  if 
necessary.  Well  worth  it  if  it's  a  go." 

"No,  it  is  understood  that's  entirely  my 
affair,"  and  Lindsay  smiled  a  firm  and 
friendly  smile  across  the  cabin.  "You'll 
have  enough  to  pay  in  another  line.  I'm 
afraid  they'll  ship  you  home  at  once." 

"Gad,  man,"  grinned  Ogilvie,  "didn't  I 
tell  you  that  is  what  I  want?  I  was  secre- 
tary for  the  outgoing  Governor,  don't  you 
know  —  slaved  a  whole  term  —  and  it's  a 
beastly  shame  to  coop  me  up  again.  My 
uncle  got  me  put  in  without  consulting  me, 
and,  as  things  are,  I  couldn't  throw  it  over. 
29 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

Hate  work,  don't  you  know,"  and  Ogilvie 
looked  to  the  efficient  Lindsay,  a  very  tor- 
nado of  strenuous  labor,  as  to  a  man  who 
would  understand  his  point  of  view. 

Mrs.  Clinton  saved  the  trouble  of  an  an- 
swer. "Jack — General  Lindsay — Mr.  Ogil- 
vie says  you  have  met  his  uncle." 

"  I  knew  him  on  a  hunting-trip  in  the  West 
five  years  ago,"  Lindsay  said.  "  But  that's 
no  advantage ;  rather  the  other  way,  for  we 
were  pretty  good  friends;  he  thought  I  " 
he  hesitated — "  I  did  something  for  him  one 
day.  It  troubles  me  to  be  stealing  his  berth 
from  under  his  nose.  I  didn't  place  him 
when  I  first  agreed  to  this." 

"  Purely  sentimental."  Ogilvie  shook  his 
head  disapprovingly.  "Quite  sure  the  old 
boy  would  do  it  himself,  if  he  had  the  brains. 
He's  gam^,  you  know,  and  he  likes  a  joke ; 
he'll  rather  enjoy  it  when  he  gets  used  to  it. 
Bless  you,  man,  he'll  be  the  first  one  to  see 
30 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 


you  couldn't  throw  away  a  situation  like 
this  !  It's  forced  on  you.  Never  heard  of 
things  fitting  so,  and  you  never  to  lift  a 
hand  till  it's  sprung!  The  old  boy  had  no 
business  to  go  off  to  Arizona  shooting  just  as 
he  was  due  here;  might  have  known  he'd 
break  his  bally  arm  or  do  something.  That 
wasn't  your  fault.  And  you  didn't  plan  to 
break  yours,  I  imagine?  No  more  did  you 
baptize  yourself  so  that  your  blooming 
initials  were  the  same  as  the  Governor's. 
And  wasn't  it  a  fluke,  now,  that  you  got 
them  painted  a  foot  long  on  your  chair? 
You  see,  besides,  there's  what  might  be 
called  a  concatenation  of  circumstances: 
you've  been  at  Eton,  and  you  talk  like  one 
of  us  when  you  choose;  then  the  Orinoco's 
broken  her  shaft,  so  there  will  not  be  a 
steamer  down  for  a  week,  and  if  I  can't 
tamper  with  the  cable  I'm  not  the  man  I 
take  myself  for.  I  know  how  to  get  that 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

done,  I  fancy.  At  the  worst,  I  can  wire  the 
old  boy  to  send  his  messages  in  cipher,  and 
if  I  can't  read  them  so  much  the  luckier  for 
him.  Then  there's  the  fact  that  to  my  al- 
most certain  knowledge  not  a  soul  in  Ber- 
muda has  ever  seen  my  uncle  —  that's  a 
large,  fat,  juicy  point." 

"  I  may  make  a  bad  break  the  first  thing," 
meditated  Lindsay.  "I've  never  been  a 
colonial  governor  before,  or  any  other  kind. 
I  don't  know  the  etiquette  the  least  bit." 

"Easiest  thing  in  the  world,"  reassured 
Teddy  Ogilvie.  "  If  you  don't  kick  over  the 
traces  most  outrageous,  anything  you  do 
will  go.  As  some  old  codger  remarked, 
'You  are  the  state.'  I'll  steer  you  to  the 
Queen's  taste.  I  can  just  see  you  romping 
in,  an  easy  winner.  Bless  your  soul,  man, 
you're  cut  out  for  it!  It's  wit' on  a  grand 
scale — it's  an  international  pleasantry.  Not 
once  in  a  century,  in  a  thousand  years, 
32 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

would  a  chance  turn  up  for  such  a  gorgeous 
lark.  They  may  do  what  they  want  to  me, 
and  I'll  be  satisfied  if  it  goes  for  only  three 
days."  And  Teddy  Ogilvie,  to  whom  a 
practical  joke  was  as  the  breath  of  his  nos- 
trils, grinned  from  the  depths  of  his  being 
to  his  thin,  blond  hair. 

"General,"  struck  in  Mrs.  Clinton's  dis- 
tinctly enunciated  tones,  "hadn't  the  Gov- 
ernor of  Bermuda  better  gather  a  little  in- 
formation as  to  his  past  history  and  family 
relations?  It  might  be  useful  for  you  to 
know  if  you're  married  or  not,  for  instance." 

Lindsay  looked  at  Ogilvie.  "Am  I  mar- 
ried?" he  asked,  anxiously. 

"Very  much  so,  my  boy.  You've  four 
strapping  youngsters — all  boys.  Wait  a  bit 
and  I'll  put  down  their  names  and  ages. 
You  ought  to  know  about  your  own  peo- 
ple, as  Mrs.  Clinton  says."  And  while  Ogil- 
vie helped  himself  to  the  captain's  pencil 
3  33 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

and  paper,  Mrs.  Clinton  bestowed  further 
thoughts  on  the  Governor  to  be. 

"General,  you've  got  to  reason  with  that 
Iro  -  Englishman  of  yours,  O'Neill.  He's 
so  beautifully  frozen  on  top  that  nobody 
would  suspect  him  of  not  being  English,  but 
he'll  break  loose  some  day  and  ruin  you  if 
you  don't  chain  him  up.  As  Brer  Rabbit 
said  of  Brer  Wolf,  '  He  look  like  he  daid,  he 
smell  like  he  daid,  but  he  don't  do  like  he 
daid.'  Last  night,  when  I  was  chopping 
holes  in  O'Neill's  mind  and  sticking  this 
plan  into  them,  what  do  you  think  he  sug- 
gested?" Lindsay  knew  that  no  answer 
was  necessary.  "He  said  he  thought  it 
would  be  'tastier' — that  is  the  word  he 
used — if  we  should  give  out  that  you'd  been 
Viceroy  of  India,  and  the  Queen  had  sent 
you  here  because  you  wanted  to  marry 
a  'broth  of  an  Injun  princess'  and  killed 
three  of  her  relations  and  looted  a  temple 
34 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

preparatory  to  elopement.  His  theory  was 
that  you  were  too  good  a  thing  to  waste  in 
prison,  so  the  Queen  put  you  where  you 
could  still  ornament  her  empire  and  do  the 
least  harm.  Now  that's  a  lurid  sketch  for 
you!"  and  Mrs.  Clinton  rejoiced  in  the  stu- 
pefaction of  her  audience. 

"I'll  see  to  O'Neill!"  Lindsay  promised 
himself,  aloud. 

"Do  unto  others,"  advised  Mrs.  Clinton, 
promptly  switching  across  the  question. 
"  You're  not  so  much  better  than  he  makes 
you  out.  I  don't  know  where  you  expect 
to  go  when  you  die,  after  this  burglary, 
but  if  you  can't  play  a  harp  in  heaven  you 
may  perhaps  play  a  hose  in  the  other  place. 
And  you  do  love  to  play."  She  rose  and 
opened  the  cabin  door  and  peeped  out  and 
up  the  deck. 

"Are  you  waiting  for  us,  Evelyn?"  she 
cried,  and  then  looked  at  the  men  in  the 
35 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

cabin.  Ogilvie  leaned  on  the  back  of  his 
chair  watching  her.  Lindsay  stared  beyond 
her  and  took  a  step  towards  the  doorway. 

"  Is  Miss  Minor  there?"  he  asked. 

"Not  at  all.  I  thought  I  would  see  if 
either  of  you  would  be  interested  if  she  were. 
I  see."  A  child  who  has  been  successfully 
naughty  would  sparkle  with  mischief  as  did 
Annette  Clinton. 

Lindsay  regarded  her.  ' '  You're  quite  right. 
I  am  interested."  He  caught  the  door  as  it 
swung  back,  and  the  opening  framed  a  bit  of 
deck  and  the  rail,  that  lifted  and  fell,  now 
against  depths  of  light-blue  sky,  now  against 
miles  of  dark-blue  ocean.  "May  I  hold  it 
for  you?  I  think  I  shall  go  and  find  her." 

The  pedometer  man,  coming  around  the 
corner,  jumped  as  he  met  a  radiant  smile 
from  the  Governor.  On  second  thoughts  he 
glanced  over  his  shoulder  and  saw  a  girl 
reading  in  a  steamer-chair. 
36 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 


III 

OW,  in  the  sweet,  early,  semi- 
tropical  morning,  the  passen- 
gers poured  on  deck  at  the 
news  that  Bermuda  was 
sighted;  how  the  fragrant 
breeze  brightened  from  moment  to  moment 
the  haggard  faces  that  had  most  of  them 
been  below  for  two  days ;  how,  as  he  stood 
by  the  captain  on  the  bridge,  he  saw  far 
away,  on  the  edge  of  the  world,  a  low,  vague 
mass,  which  grew  rapidly  clearer,  and  took 
on  sharp,  white  spots  and  lines ;  how  the  sail 
of  the  pilot-boat  danced  across  the  water, 
and  the  black  pilot  took  them  inside  the 
tumbling  line  of  foam  which  is  the  reef  and 
brought  them  closer  and  closer  to  the  little 
37 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

land  where  each  day  is  a  sunshiny  holiday  • 
how  tiny  islands  sprang  up  on  every  side — 
set  in  the  pale-blue  jewelry  of  the  water, 
dark  with  cedars,  specked  with  glistening 
white  stone  houses  —  as  the  boat  moved 
slowly  up  the  crooked  channel ;  how  glimpses 
of  white  roads  and  red-coated  soldiery  and 
hedges  of  flowers  and  graceful  heads  of 
palm-trees  pricked  his  blood  with  happiness 
as  the  ship  crept  ever  nearer  —  these  are 
pictures  which  will  be  vivid  always  in  the 
memory  of  John  Lindsay. 

If  one  has  Southern  blood  in  his  veins, 
life  is  only  half  lived  in  a  Northern  climate. 
The  flower  of  being  is  ever  on  guard,  half 
closed,  against  a  sharp  wind  that  may  come, 
and  it  is  only  in  the  warmth  of  sure  sunlight 
that  it  opens  freely  and  knows  the  full, 
careless  joy  of  living.  Lindsay's  mother 
was  from  Alabama,  and  as  the  Trinidad 
drew  into  Hamilton  Harbor  on  a  still,  fair 
38 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

Sunday  morning,  he  felt,  in  the  delight  of 
the  balmy  atmosphere,  that  a  large  half  of 
him  was  hers,  and  Southern.  The  picture 
was  as  gay  and  boldly  splashed  with  color 
as  the  drop-curtain  of  a  theatre,  and  the  air 
of  unreality,  the  sensation  of  irresponsibility 
with  which  the  scene  inspired  him,  fitted 
the  last  shining  link  to  his  armor  of  ad- 
venture. He  had  been  in  theatricals  many 
times;  what  was  this  but  a  play  with  a 
leading  part  a  little  more  difficult,  a  plot  a 
little  more  daring,  a  stage  -  setting  surely 
more  exquisite  than  any  he  had  known? 
The  boyish,  hare-brained  dare-deviltry,  that 
was  so  oddly  combined  in  his  make-up  with 
clear-headed  executive  ability,  seized  him 
as  his  spirits  rose  with  the  exhilaration  of 
wonderful  light  and  air.  He  had  strained 
every  muscle,  every  nerve,  to  win  a  race ;  he 
had  worked  with  every  power  that  was  in 
him,  mental  and  physical,  to  gain  a  law- 
39 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

case ;  he  would  put  this  through  in  the  same 
way — with  his  might.  It  would  be  a  story 
to  tell  when  he  should  be  ninety,  if  he  could 
do  it.  And  he  would  do  it.  With  a  firm 
jaw  and  shining  eyes  he  looked  silently  at 
the  sliding  shore  of  the  little  country  he 
meant  to  rule. 

The  new  Governor  was  not  expected,  for 
his  telegram  to  the  captain  had  been  cabled 
down,  so  only  the  ordinary  crowd  which 
meets  an  arriving  steamer  waited  on  the 
wharf.  Yet  it  was  a  dazzling  picture  to  eyes 
fresh  from  the  dull,  gray,  winter  coloring 
of  New  York.  There  were  perhaps  two  hun- 
dred people,  and  everywhere  gay  parasols 
waved  to  and  fro,  flowery  hats  moved  in  and 
out,  white  and  pink  and  pale-hued  gowns 
shifted  against  one  another ;  the  strong  note 
of  a  scarlet  or  dark-blue  coat  struck  a  deep 
tone  here  and  there,  and  the  woof  of  the 
pulsing  sunshine  wove  the  brilliant  threads 
40 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

into  a  pattern  of  iridescent  charm.  Lindsay 
felt  a  little  quiet  and  a  little  dazed,  and  very 
willing  to  be  stage-managed  by  Teddy  Ogil- 
vie's  experienced  hands.  It  had  hardly  be- 
gun to  be  rumored  that  the  new  Governor 
was  on  board  before  that  personage  found 
himself  dashing,  in  one  of  the  light,  open 
carriages  which  are  the  hacks  of  Bermuda, 
up  narrow,  hilly,  white  streets,  with  Ogilvie 
by  his  side,  and  O'Neill,  his  dreams  of  glory 
•  corked  inside  his  blond  thatch  of  hair,  safely 
stowed  by  the  coachman. 

The  arrival  at  Mount  Langton,  the  Gov- 
ernment House  of  Bermuda;  the  sudden 
bustle  of  drowsy  servants ;  the  ceremonious 
deference  of  the  household,  and  the  fear 
with  it  that  a  telltale  ignorance  of  detail 
might  betray  him;  the  consciousness  of 
Ogilvie's  accustomed  hand  steering  him 
quietly  through  it  all,  and  later  the  return- 
ing confidence  in  himself  as  he  grew  used  to 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

the  situation — all  these  sensations,  crowding 
closely  on  each  other  in  his  first  day,  were 
a  vague  recollection  afterwards  to  Lindsay. 
His  mind  was  so  crossed  in  every  direc- 
tion by  new  demands,  new  responsibilities, 
new  anxieties,  that  the  morning  was  a  mere 
milky  way  of  thick-strewn  new  impressions. 
It  was  a  bit  more  difficult  than  he  had 
fancied  to  walk  with  dignity  in  another 
man's  shoes,  a  bit  different  from  theatricals ; 
his  heart  was  in  his  throat  more  than  once 
as  he  realized  in  sudden  starts  the  enormity 
of  his  impertinence.  But  he  had  a  good 
courage  and  a  keen  joy  in  adventure,  and 
his  quick  tact  and  winning  manner,  and  the 
wise  man's  gift  of  silence  where  words  are 
dangerous,  carried  him  through  the  first 
breakers,  which  were  the  worst. 

Eleven    o'clock    that    night    found    him 
smoking  a  cigar  with  his  secretary,  in  soli- 
tude and  temporary  safety,  on  the  terrace 
42 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

of  Mount  Langton.  A  golden  moon  rode 
under  wisps  of  silver  clouds  in  the  sky, 
scents  of  a  garden  of  flowers  blew  softly 
about  them  on  damp,  caressing  airs,  and 
below  the  steep,  cedar-clothed  slope  of  the 
hill  swept  in  dim  silvery  splendor  the  wide 
ocean.  Far  out  on  the  edge  of  the  dip  of  it 
an  intermittent  flash  of  brightness  and  a 
distant  noise  of  water  told  where  the  sea 
was  breaking,  as  it  had  broken  for  ages,  on 
the  reef.  Lindsay  held  his  cigar  between 
his  fingers  and  stared. 

"  Jove !"  he  said,  in  an  undertone.  "  I've 
seen  a  good  bit  of  the  earth,  but  I  didn't 
know  there  was  anything  as  lovely  as  this 
on  it." 

Teddy  Ogilvie,  with  his  back  to  the  view, 
blew  two  rings  of  smoke  carefully.  "Yes. 
Nice,  isn't  it?  Thought  you'd  like  it,"  he 
said.  "  But  you  can't  make  a  snapping  ad- 
ministration looking  at  scenery — don't  you 

43 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

understand?  Better  talk  shop  a  bit.  Got 
any  plans?" 

At  that  another  side  of  Lindsay  wheeled 
to  the  front.  His  dreamy  eyes  left  the 
quicksilvered  ocean  and  fastened  them- 
selves with  a  practical  gaze  on  Ogilvie's 
matter-of-fact  face. 

"Yes,"  he  said,  "several.  First,  if  you 
consider  it  correct,  I  mean  to  give  a  re- 
ception for  the  public.  And  as  my  execu- 
tive life  is  a  precarious  one,  I  mean  to  give  it 
at  once.  Will  it  be  possible  in  two  days?" 

Two  days  later,  half -past  three  in  the 
afternoon,  saw  Mount  Langton,  all  happy 
and  charmed,  from  steward  to  stable-boy, 
with  his  new  Excellency,  alert  and  ready 
for  the  function.  O'Neill,  his  wild  Irish 
blood  glorying  in  his  master's  meteoric 
grandeur,  but  hungering  beneath  the  im- 
passive face  that  was  his  stock  in  trade  for 
gaudier  effects,  stole  into  the  expectant 
44 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

hush  of  the  large,  flower-scented  drawing- 
room.  There  he  found  a  footman  of  the 
genuine,  frozen,  English  breed,  erect  and 
stolid  and  stiff  as  his  livery.  O'Neill's  way 
was  a  winning  one,  and,  though  the  footman 
was  alarmed  at  confidences  so  far  from  the 
servants'  hall,  yet  in  a  few  moments  the 
Irishman  had  his  ear,  and  Lindsay,  stroll- 
ing under  the  windows  five  minutes  later, 
stopped  at  the  sound  of  voices,  and  heard 
his  valet  finishing  a  sentence  with  an  un- 
guarded flourish. 

"So  ye'll  see,  a  patch  o'  potaties  ain't 
much  to  men  like  us,  what  has  been  vice-r'ys 
of  Inja,  Holy  Mary!  if  ye  plaze,"  said 
O'Neill. 

O'Neill's  soaring  Pegasus  was  winged 
sharply  by  his  master,  and  Simmons,  the 
footman,  with  a  stern  word  of  warning  as  to 
believing  the  Irishman,  was  sent  flying  to 
bring  Mr.  Ogilvie,  while  the  Governor,  star- 
45 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

ing  through  white  curtains  that  flapped 
softly  in  the  breeze  at  palms  and  roses  and 
hedges  and  gardens  beyond,  meditated  on 
the  varieties  of  danger  with  which  he  was 
threatened.  O'Neill,  his  own  man,  to  be 
making  a  fool  of  him,  seemed  a  little  more 
than  he  ought  to  expect,  but  yet  it  was  all 
in  the  game,  and  he  must  play  against  that, 
too,  if  necessary. 

With  a  ringing  step  across  the  hall  Ogilvie 
came  in  —  in  boots  and  riding-breeches. 
Lindsay  looked  at  him. 

"Aren't  you  a  bit  late  getting  dressed?" 

"  Plenty  of  time,"  said  Ogilvie,  cheerfully. 
"  Bath's  all  ready;  won't  take  me  five  min- 
utes to  shift.  I  stopped  to  lunch  at  Ad- 
miralty House." 

"So  you  telephoned." 

Suddenly  the  fresh-colored,  queerly  shaped 
face,  with  its  unseasonable  lines,  was  con- 
vulsed with  laughter.  It  spread  all  over  his 
46 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

big  length  till  it  seemed  as  if  the  very  rus- 
set boots  were  chuckling  with  fun. 

Lindsay  spoke  a  bit  impatiently.  "If 
there  is  anything  to  tell,  Ogilvie,  out  with  it. 
You  really  must  dress — people  will  be  here 
in  fifteen  minutes.  What  are  you  laughing 
about?" 

Ogilvie  gasped  and  his  eyes  were  moist. 
"  Don't  be  wrathy.  I've  great  news.  There's 
one  joy  in  this  already  that  no  one  can  take 
from  us." 

"I  haven't  noticed  it,"  said  Lindsay, 
tersely. 

"Ah  no,  but  you  will.  This  morning 
when  I  left  you,  you'll  remember  you  gave 
me  carte  blanche  for  any  arrangements.  '  Do 
your  worst,  Teddy,'  said  you,  'and  I'll  back 
you  up.": 

"Never  on  this  earth,"  denied  Lindsay, 
firmly. 

"Oh,  come  now,  words  to  that  effect," 
47 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

Ogilvie  said,  soothingly.  "At  least,  that's 
how  I  understood  you.  So  at  the  lunch-ta- 
ble it  flashed  into  my  mind  about  the  beer." 

"About  the  beer?"  Lindsay  looked 
dazed. 

"  Yes,  man,  the  beer.  Don't  you  remem- 
ber? You  said  at  breakfast  that  you'd  like 
to  send  one  of  those  lazy  war-ships  swinging 
out  there ' ' — he  nodded  towards  the  window, 
through  which  in  the  distance  gleamed  a 
stretch  of  marvellous  blue  ocean — "up  to 
New  York  for  a  case  of  beer." 

"I  said  that."  Lindsay  looked  a  little 
bored.  "What  of  it?" 

"You  acknowledge  it,  do  you?  Good. 
To-morrow  morning  the  Bellerophon,  by 
courtesy  of  the  Admiral,  sails  for  New  York 
on  important  business  for  the  Governor. 
Sealed  orders  to  the  captain  to  be  opened  in 
New  York  Bay.  Arranged  by  the  Govern- 
or's secretary.  Me!"  The  gargoyle  joy  on 
48 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

Ogilvie's  face  would  have  made  a  hit  in  a 
Punch  and  Judy  show. 

Lindsay  stood  looking  at  him  so  motion- 
less that  Ogilvie  heard  his  slow  breath.  For 
thirty  seconds  he  stood  as  if  struck  dumb. 
Finally,  "Ogilvie,  what  are  you  talking 
about?"  he  asked. 

The  Englishman  looked  injured.  "Sup- 
posed you'd  jump  at  it,"  he  complained. 
"It's  a  good  stroke;  first  time  in  history 
an  English  man-of-war  ever  worked  the 
growler." 

Slowly  over  Lindsay's  horrified  face  there 
seemed  to  break  a  compelling  wave  of 
laughter.  He  dropped  into  a  chair,  and  his 
hands  lay  along  the  arms,  his  head  rested 
against  the  back,  while,  as  if  afraid  to  give 
up  to  the  force  of  the  seizure,  he  shook  and 
choked  back  sobs.  Ogilvie  stood  grinning, 
like  a  carving  in  painted  wood,  and  regarded 
him. 

4  49 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

"I  see  you  catch  the  idea,"  he  said,  with 
satisfaction.  "A  bit  slow,  but  it's  fetched 
you.  You'll  notice  it's  particularly  well 
done,  because  it's  the  Bellerophon.  The 
Partridge,  or  even  the  Drake,  you  know- 
it  wouldn't  have  been  as  artistic.  But  the 
Bellerophon  to  go  beer  -  carrying  —  that's 
picturesque." 

Suddenly,  while  the  two  men  stared  at 
each  other,  a  rustle  of  crisp  skirts  startled 
them  from  the  doorway,  and  in  a  pink  gown, 
which  was  written  in  French  and  might 
never  be  translated  into  English,  with  the 
tap  of  heels  on  the  hard  floor,  Mrs.  Clinton 
clicked  delicately  in.  Lindsay's  expression 
changed,  and  he  stood  up,  serious  at  once. 

"What  are  you  doing  here  so  early?"  he 
demanded,  a  touch  of  brusqueness  in  his 
voice. 

"Well,  bless  my  soul,  you're  cordial," 
responded  the  small  woman,  in  a  disen- 
5° 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

gaged,  cheerful  tone.  "I'm  on  an  errand 
of  necessity  and  mercy,  as  you'll  see.  Some- 
thing awful  has  happened,  or  is  going  to 
happen,"  she  said,  earnestly. 

There  was  a  quick  word  of  question. 

"Listen,"  Mrs.  Clinton  went  on,  lowering 
her  voice.  "There  are  two  little  rats  of 
people  at  the  Hamilton  who  know  the  real 
Governor." 

"Jove!"  exclaimed  Ogilvie,  but  Lindsay 
only  looked  at  her,  his  eyebrows  drawn 
into  a  line,  his  dark  eyes  glowing  som- 
brely. 

"Two  little  brother-and-sister  rats,  old 
maid  and  old  bachelor,  named  Bibbe,  poor 
things!  I  only  knew  it  an  hour  ago;  I 
was  talking  to  sister  under  the  oleanders. 
They're  keen  about  coming  to  the  reception 
this  afternoon,  but  I'm  glad  to  say  brother- 
rat  is  pretty  ill,  and  I  hope  he  won't  be  able 
to  lift  his  head.  But  sister  is  coming,  and 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

coming  early,  and  you've  got  to  be  ready 
with  your  plans." 

Lindsay  walked  to  the  window,  and  stared 
out  for  a  moment  at  the  gravelled  driveway 
that  swept  downward  through  the  gardens 
to  the  great  hibiscus  hedge,  gay  with  crimson 
blossoms.  When  he  turned,  his  face  was 
keen  and  alert. 

"Did  you  get  any  details?  Where  did 
the  Governor  know  these  people?  How 
much  do  they  know  about  him?"  he  asked, 
rapidly. 

Mrs.  Clinton  nodded  like  a  canary  vain  of 
its  intelligence.  "  I  asked  all  the  questions 
I  dared.  You  met  them  two  years  ago  vis- 
iting at  a  country-house  in  Devonshire,  the 
—the —  Oh,  have  I  forgotten  that  name?" 
she  moaned.  "No  —  it's  Southcote,  I'm 
certain.  And  two  of  your  boys  were  with 
you." 

Somewhere  in  the  last  few  sentences  Ogil- 
52 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

vie  had  dashed  away,  and  the  two  stood 
together,  Mrs.  Clinton's  face  turned  upward 
to  her  cousin's,  her  soul  intent  on  the  sit- 
uation, her  eyes  watching  eagerly  his  ex- 
pression, waiting  for  that  decisive  cutting 
of  the  knot  which  she  had  learned  to  ex- 
pect from  him.  After  two  silent  minutes  he 
spoke. 

"Where  is  Miss  Minor?"  he  asked. 

There  was  the  roll  of  wheels  on  the  gravel, 
Mrs.  Clinton  melted  quickly  into  the  back- 
ground of  furniture,  and  the  pompous  Sim- 
mons announced: 

"Miss  Bibbe." 

A  little  woman,  withered  and  gentle, 
strayed  softly  in  under  the  massive  door- 
way, and  stood  looking  about  her.  The 
Governor  took  a  step  forward,  and  the 
frozen  Simmons  heard  a  low  execration, 
mixed  with  Teddy  Ogilvie's  name.  But  the 
graciousness  of  his  manner  had  never  been 
53 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

greater  than  when  he  held  his  hand  to  greet 
the  new-comer. 

"Miss  Bibbe!  Is  it  possible  that  this  is 
my  old  friend,  Miss  Bibbe,  whom  I  knew 
in  Devonshire?  I  hope  you  remember  me 
as  well  as  I  do  you." 

Thin  little  Miss  Bibbe  put  out  her  fingers, 
then  arrested  them  suddenly  as  her  eyes  met 
the  Governor's.  But  he  had  not  waited,  and 
stood  holding  the  limp  little  hand  a  moment 
longer  than  necessary,  and  talking  easily. 

"I'm  afraid  you  have  forgotten  all  about 
me — that's  the  way  with  women,  but  men 
are  more  faithful,  you  see." 

Miss  Bibbe,  finally  recovering  her  hand, 
stared  at  the  straight-featured,  handsome 
Governor,  so  full  of  friendliness  and  gen- 
tle interest,  in  astonishment.  Across  the 
stream  of  kind  and  reminiscent  words  her 
weak  little  voice  managed  at  length  to 
throw  a  sentence. 

54 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

"But — but  there's  some  mistake,"  she 
stammered,  in  embarrassment.  "  I  remem- 
ber General  Lindsay  so  distinctly,  and — 
and —  "  (it  was  difficult  to  insult  this  de- 
lightful and  distinguished  gentleman)  — 
"but  you  are  so  changed!" 

Lindsay  laughed  a  tender,  caressing  laugh, 
and  his  eyes  beamed  down  upon  her,  those 
fascinating  brown  eyes  which  no  woman 
ever  resisted.  "Time  changes  us  all,  Miss 
Bibbe,  although  you  look  exactly  as  when 
I  first  saw  you.  But  most  of  us  can't  stand 
still  in  life,  and  particularly  in  hot  cli- 
mates." 

"But  you've  gone  backwards;  but  you 
look  ten  years  younger,"  staccatoed  Miss 
Bibbe,  getting  her  breath  by  degrees. 

Again  that  soft,  flattering  laugh  of  Lind- 
say's, as  if  to  a  dear  child  who  had  fallen 
into  error,  made  its  blurring  impression  on 
the  edge  of  her  perceptions. 
55 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

"  I  take  off  my  hat  to  you,  Miss  Bibbe,"  he 
said,  with  a  boyish  bow  and  flourish.  "I'm 
afraid  you  have  been  to  Ireland  lately 
and  kissed  the  Blarney  stone.  You  mustn't 
spoil  me  so  or  I  shall  be  neglecting  the  colony 
to  talk  to  you."  Then,  with  gentle  serious- 
ness, "Hot  climates  do  agree  with  me,  I 
know,  and  I  am  much  thinner.  People  say 
that  makes  me  look  younger.  And  now  tell 
me,  Miss  Bibbe,  how  are  our  old  friends  the 
Northcotes?" 

The  faded  little  woman  raised  bewildered 
eyes  to  interrogate  this  astonishing,  unex- 
pected, but  bewitching  Governor. 

"The  who?"  she  asked,  ungrammatical 
with  surprise. 

"  Why,  our  Devonshire  friends,  the  North- 
cotes,  with  whom  you  and  I  were  stopping." 
Lindsay  felt  a  vague  uneasiness  as  he  haz- 
arded this  onward  step.  "Why  doesn't  Ted- 
dy come?"  his  very  soul  was  demanding. 
56 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

"  Why  don't  other  people  come?  I  can't  do 
this  successfully  much  longer." 

Shrivelled,  mild  Miss  Bibbe  fixed  him  with 
a  look  of  such  blankness  that  he  knew  he  had 
slipped  somewhere.  "Northcotes?"  she  re- 
peated, and  then,  "Oh,  Southcotes !"  and 
there  was  a  hint  of  suspicion  this  time  in 
her  meek  gaze. 

Lindsay,  without  a  second  of  hesitation, 
rushed  into  the  breach.  "  Miss  Bibbe !  How 
ridiculous  you  must  think  me!  Do  you 
know,  that  was  a  school-boy  trick  of  mine? — 
I  thought  it  a  joke  to  twist  their  name.  How 
absurd  that  such  an  old  fancy  should  crop 
up  now  to  embarrass  me  with  you!"  The 
shot  carried;  the  ghost  of  doubt  was  laid. 

Miss  Bibbe  was  unaccustomed  to  that 
personal  way  of  turning  a  sentence,  and  the 
flattery  of  it,  and  the  deference,  gentleness, 
almost  tenderness  of  the  look  which  the 
dark  eyes  sent  with  it,  made  her  dizzy. 
57 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

Of  course,  it  was  most  natural  to  confuse 
Northcote  with  Southcote;  a  man  like  that 
had  greater  things  to  occupy  him.  And 
still  no  one  came,  and  still  Teddy  Ogilvie 
was  dressing.  Miss  Bibbe  was  enjoying 
every  minute,  but  Lindsay  was  wondering 
how  many  more  rocks  he  could  shave  with- 
out shipwreck.  Meanwhile  their  jagged 
edges  were  waiting  for  him. 

"How  is  that  handsome  young  son  of 
yours?"  Miss  Bibbe  ventured,  gently.  "I 
suppose  he  must  be  nearly  ready  for  the 
army  by  now?" 

Lindsay  at  this  felt  a  cold  chill  about  the 
heart.  He  could  not  risk  information  about 
his  family.  He  condensed  all  the  sweetness 
of  his  being  into  a  dazzling,  mysterious, 
non-committal  smile,  and  murmured,  limp- 
ly, "Ah  yes!  the  army!"  and  glanced  long- 
ingly where  Teddy  Ogilvie  was  due  to  ap- 
pear. ' '  They  never  told  me  I  had  a  son  going 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

into  the  army,"  he  raged,  inwardly.    "  Now 
what  else  will  she  ask  me  ?' '    Soon  he  knew. 

"And  the  other  lad,  that  dear  little  fel- 
low?—  I've  forgotten  his  name,  General. 
What  was  his  name,  the  second  one?" 

Lindsay  frowned  reflectively.  "Ah  yes! 
now  what  was  that  boy's  name?"  he  said, 
and  then  jumped,  for  Miss  Bibbe  was  laugh- 
ing merrily. 

"Why,  General,  you  are  a  worse  tease 
than  ever;  the  idea  of  pretending  not  to 
know  your  own  child's  name.  But  there 
are  two  others — are  there  not? — whom  I 
have  never  seen;  I  hope  they  are  well?" 

Lindsay's  teeth  shut  hard.  "  I  have  had 
to  set  up  two  children;  I'll  be  hanged  if  I 
adopt  any  more,"  he  decided.  And  then 
aloud:  "Miss  Bibbe,  I  am  sorry  to  tell  you 
they  are  both  dead." 

"Dead!     Oh!"     Miss   Bibbe's  grief  and 
sympathy  were  in  her  startled  voice. 
59 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

"Dead,"  said  the  Governor,  gravely  and 
firmly,  and  then,  in  a  shout  of  joy,  "  Ogilvie ! 
Here  is  my  nephew,  Mr.  Ogilvie,"  and  in 
a  moment  the  young  man,  fresh  and  im- 
maculate, was  presented,  and  Miss  Bibbe 
had  told  him  that  she  had  often  seen  him 
with  the  late  Governor,  and  he  had  told  her 
that  he  had  seen  her,  too ;  and  Miss  Bibbe, 
flushed  and  excited,  was  escorted  gallantly 
away  to  the  dining-room  by  the  Governor's 
secretary.  The  Governor  protested  gently, 
and  his  last  words  were  many,  but  car- 
riages were  driving  up  and  Miss  Bibbe  was 
taken  away  from  her  victim  in  a  mist  of 
rapture,  sure  that  two  other  such  attractive 
men  did  not  live;  almost  sure,  too,  which 
was  even  more  delightful,  that  she  was  at- 
tractive as  well. 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 


IV 

ISTORY  crowded  into  the 
short  three  hours  of  the  Gov- 
ernor' s  reception .  The  dainty 
cloud  of  pink  frivolity  which 
was  Mrs.  Clinton's  outward 
semblance  was  soon  the  centre  of  a  group 
among  which  men  were  not  missing.  The 
tiny  woman's  clear  voice  and  quick  wit,  her 
mixture  of  finish  and  audacity,  and  her 
charming  looks  made  her  a  loadstone  al- 
ways. But  the  piquant  personality  was  in 
its  essence  practical,  and  just  now  it  was 
"shop"  to  her  to  keep  her  finger  on  the 
pulse  of  the  people  and  watch  every  heart- 
beat for  signs  of  the  Governor's  success  or 
failure.  She  managed  to  see  almost  every 
61 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

one  of  importance  who  came  out  from  the 
big  drawing-room  where  Lindsay  and  Ogil- 
vie  stood  greeting  a  long  line  of  guests. 

"  How  do  you  like  the  new  Governor,  Sir 
Francis?"  she  demanded,  with  directness,  of 
the  Admiral,  as  he  swung  smiling  through 
the  doorway,  his  fresh-colored  face  bright 
with  Lindsay's  last  word. 

The  Admiral  liked  to  stop  and  talk  a  bit 
with  this  pretty  American;  she  had  a  trick 
of  making  him  feel  that  thirty  years  had 
rolled  from  him  between  her  greeting  and 
good-bye.  He  was  apt  to  forget  official  dig- 
nity in  her  sunshiny  presence,  and  talk  more 
freely  than  he  did  to  most  people. 

"  I  object  to  your  description  of  him,  Mrs. 
Clinton,"  he  said.  "The  man  has  been  on 
the  island  two  days,  and  he  belongs  to  us  as 
if  he  had  been  here  a  year.  I  didn't  think 
of  him  as  a  ' new'  Governor  after  I'd  known 
him  an  hour.  Wonderful  chap!  Takes  to 
62 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

a  strange  berth  like  a  duck  to  water;  I 
suppose  it's  from  having  done  a  lot  of 
colonies  before;  he's  had  wide  experience, 
you  know.  Never  knew  a  governorship 
picked  up  so  easily.  Delightful,  too,  to 
have  such  a  man  as  an  associate."  In  one 
form  or  another  the  verdict  was  always  the 
same.  The  Chief -justice  was  a  shrivelled 
and  frivolous  gentleman  of  seventy,  who 
loved  dancing.  Mrs.  Clinton  appealed  to 
him  at  once  on  his  weak  side. 

"  Chief -justice,  have  you  made  the  new 
Governor  promise  to  come  to  the  dances  at 
the  Hamilton?" 

The  dignitary  cackled  a  kindly  cackle  and 
his  face  was  wreathed  with  wrinkles  more 
complicated  than  Teddy  Ogilvie's  own. 

"  Never  fear  for  the  Governor,  Mrs.  Clin- 
ton. He  is  a  most  wonderful  man,  and  I 
doubt  not  he  will  administer  the  colony 
in  the  morning,  have  time  in  the  afternoon 
63 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

to  ride  and  play  golf,   and  be  fresh  for 
dances  in  the  evening." 

"You  like  him,  do  you?"  the  plaintive 
voice  went  on,  questioning. 

"Madam,"  said  the  Chief -justice,  "we  are 
all  delighted  with  him.  I  have  discovered 
that  he  is  a  lawyer  of  more  than  common 
acumen,  and  I  learn  on  comparison  that 
other  men  find  him  equally  at  home  in  their 
specialties.  Indeed,  I  think  it  quite  re- 
markable that  he  should  be  Governor  of 
Bermuda." 

"Indeed,  I  think  so,  too,"  cordially  as- 
sented the  young  woman,  and  at  once  so 
dazzled  the  Chief -justice  with  bright  talk 
that  he  forgot  to  inquire  into  the  meaning 
of  her  words. 

'  Teddy  Ogilvie,  in  the  press  of  his  duties, 

never  lost  track  of  the  pale-pink  gown,  and 

when  the  people  had  mostly  come  and  had 

been  presented  to  the  hero  of  the  day  he 

64 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

strolled  out  under  the  trees  and  took  re- 
freshment for  a  few  minutes  in  its  company. 

"Has  it  gone  well?"  Mrs.  Clinton  asked, 
eagerly.  "Is  he  making  a  success?" 

Ogilvie's  ugly  smile  was  beatific.  "He's 
the  eighth  wonder.  Never  saw  such  a  chap. 
They're  mad  over  him,  the  whole  outfit. 
He's  getting  up  boat  -  races  and  horse- 
races, and  making  dates  for  golf-tourna- 
ments and  tennis  matches  right  and  left, 
with  everybody  on  the  island.  Yet  he's 
dignified.  He's  said  the  right  thing  to  a 
dozen  politicians,  and  hit  off  the  business  of 
every  man  who  has  come  near  him.  I'll 
bet  a  hundred  he's  already  the  most  popu- 
lar man  who  ever  filled  the  place." 

He  and  Mrs.  Clinton  sat  on  a  wooden 
bench  which  swept  around  the  base  of  a  big 
cedar-tree,  and  the  lines  of  the  Paris  dress, 
the  long  droop  of  the  rosy  feather  of  the 
picture  hat,  which  rested  against  the  rough 
65 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

bark,  were  so  satisfactory  to  him  that  he 
did  not  see  anything  else.  But  the  Amer- 
ican, alert  always,  and  interested  in  every 
detail  of  the  gay  scene  about  her,  at  that 
moment  caught  signals  of  danger.  Lind- 
say, tired  of  the  cares  of  office,  had  decided 
that  he  had  stood  at  attention  in  the  big 
drawing  -  room  long  enough.  Conspicuous 
with  his  big,  white  sling,  he  was  coming 
across  the  driveway,  where  the  afternoon 
shadows  lay  in  long,  brown  masses  on  the 
gravel.  His  head  was  thrown  back,  and 
his  eyes  were  smiling  and  shining.  They 
were  fixed  somewhere  beyond  the  couple 
on  the  bench,  and  Mrs.  Clinton,  turning, 
saw  that  Evelyn  Minor  stood  behind  her, 
talking  to  the  Admiral.  But  between  the 
two,  pattering  rapidly  over  the  lawn  tow- 
ards the  Governor,  was  the  meek,  eager 
little  figure  of  Miss  Bibbe.  Lindsay  was 
not  to  be  risked  in  another  encounter, 
66 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

and  it  did  not  need  higher  mathematics  to 
show  Annette  Clinton  that  the  line  of  Miss 
Bibbe  and  the  Governor  would  coincide  be- 
fore the  line  of  the  Governor  and  Evelyn  if 
something  did  not  happen. 

Instantly  something  did  happen.  While 
Ogilvie's  eyes  were  drinking  in  his  picture, 
behold!  the  foreground,  the  soul  of  it,  had 
flown,  and  Miss  Bibbe,  making  a  straight 
line,  which  is  the  shortest  distance  between 
two  objects,  towards  her  hero,  suddenly 
found  an  unwelcome  obstacle  in  the  path. 
Mrs.  Clinton,  gentle  but  firm,  had  claimed 
her,  and  in  a  minute  the  two  were  tete- 
h-tete  in  deep  wicker  chairs,  and  the  Gov- 
ernor, the  fairy  prince  who  had  enchanted 
her  gray  little  life  to  rose-color,  was  out  of 
sight.  So  it  was  Mrs.  Clinton  learned  that 
Mr.  Titus  Pomponius  Atticus  Bibbe,  Miss 
Bibbe's  brother,  as  exact  and  firm  as  his 
sister  was  uncertain  and  undecided — so  the 
6? 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

sister  proudly  represented  him  —  was  to 
drive  up  late  in  the  afternoon  for  her,  and, 
if  the  rheumatism  were  not  too  severe,  hoped 
to  come  in  for  a  moment  and  meet  the 
Governor. 

"Titus  will  understand  at  once  how  it  is 
that  the  Governor  is  so  changed,"  Miss 
Bibbe's  gentle  little  voice  announced. 
"Titus  is  so  exact  and  so  clear.  I  never 
was  more  astonished,  Mrs.  Clinton,  for  I 
assure  you  he  is  quite  different,  quite,  from 
the  way  I  remember  him.  Even  his  eyes 
are  another  color — what  beautiful  eyes  he 
has !  But,  of  course,  I  have  made  some  stu- 
pid mistake — I  am  always  doing  it,  Titus 
says — for  the  Governor  remembered  me  at 
once,  and  was  so  kind.  I  think  I  have  never 
known  any  one  kinder.  A  most  interesting 
man!"  She  glanced,  regretfully,  where  the 
group  of  gay  dresses  had  swallowed  up  Lind- 
say. Annette  wondered  how  she  could  get 
68 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

hold  of  him  and  warn  him  against  this  new, 
impending  danger.  Whatever  happened,  he 
must  not  meet  Mr.  Bibbe.  She  had  seen 
the  cross-grained,  bad-tempered  little  man, 
and  felt  sure  he  would  ask  no  better  solace 
to  his  sufferings  than  to  make  trouble. 

Meantime  the  Governor  was  having  troub- 
les of  his  own.  A  manly  dislike  of  looking 
backward  when  his  hand  was  on  the  plough, 
a  boyish  exhilaration  in  the  success  of  the 
game,  had  carried  him  through  the  after- 
noon with  flying  colors,  but  now  he  was  im- 
patient. It  was  irksome  to  be  obliged  to 
talk  to  fifty  people  when  he  wanted  to  talk 
to  one.  Evelyn  Minor,  with  her  sunshiny 
smile,  fell  so  modestly  into  the  background 
when  these  impossible  Hotchkisses,  when 
these  earnest  legislators,  when  these  great 
people  of  the  colony,  who  had  never  been 
off  the  island,  came  up.  He  wanted  to 
catch  her  hand  and  hold  her,  to  say, "  Please 
69 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

wait;  I  want  to  talk  to  only  you."  But  he 
was  chained — he  might  not  even  look  it.  Or 
hardly,  for  Lindsay's  eyes  did  not  obey  or- 
ders over  well,  and  he  did  look  it  a  little, 
and  Evelyn  was  conscious  of  a  thrill  at  the 
look  which  she  promptly  tried  to  put  down. 
What  nonsense!  How  vain  she  must  be! 
The  Governor  of  Bermuda,  and,  besides,  he 
was  a  married  man.  Between  propriety  and 
modesty  she  managed  to  resist  the  tempta- 
tion of  remembering  that  long  glance  across 
the  legislators  and  the  Hotchkisses.  But 
yet  it  was  a  temptation. 

"General,"  said  Mr.  Hotchkiss,  seizing 
the  right  moment,  "let's  you  'n'  me  leave 
this  social  scene  for  just  about  five  minutes, 
and  go  in  the  house  and  talk  a  mite  o' 
business.  I  won't  bother  you  long,  that 
I'll  promise." 

Lindsay  looted  about  him.     Three  young 
naval  officers  from  the  Crescent  had  pos- 
70 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

session  of  Evelyn ;  he  really  wanted  to  hear 
more  of  the  trolley  scheme  It  was  an  awk- 
ward question  for  him,  holding  stock  as  he 
did,  and  much  stock,  in  this  company,  to 
know  what  to  do.  He  might  not,  as  an 
honest  man,  use  his  sham  governorship, 
yet  he  would  not  injure  the  scheme,  on  his 
own  account  and  on  account  of  others.  It 
was  best  to  let  Hotchkiss  talk,  and  so  get 
his  bearings.  Many  people  were  inside  yet, 
and  the  Governor  was  stopped  at  every 
step  as  they  went  through  the  great  house, 
and  always  his  ready  friendliness  and  the 
unconscious  charm  of  his  manner  left  a 
warmer  admirer  when  he  passed  on. 

"Now,  General" — Lindsay's  eyes  smiled 
at  the  picture  of  Hotchkiss  in  a  spider-like, 
gilt  chair,  against  the  pink  damask  portieres 
of  the  little  reception-room.  But  the  rosy 
curtains  shielded  them  from  the  crowd,  and 
the  setting  of  Hotchkiss  did  not  matter.  He 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

poised,  gingerly,  on  the  etherealness  of  the 
dainty  chair,  and  put  his  hands  on  his  fat 
knees  as  if  to  get  a  good  grip — "now,  Gen- 
eral, I've  got  just  a  few  words  to  say  to 
you  about  this  trolley  scheme.  I  make  no 
doubt  you've  sized  up  things;  we  know 
you're  a  keen  one,  sir,  for  all  your  pleas- 
ant ways.  And  I'm  dead  sure  you  see  by 
now  that  it's  a  right  good  plan.  What  I 
want  to  ask  is  that  if  you  approve  you'll 
just  help  us  a  mite,  as  you  can,  easy.  A 
word  to  three  or  four  of  them  legislators  out 
there,  just  a  hint,  you  know — they're  all 
ready — that  'd  be  all  that's  needed  to  make 
it  a  go." 

Hotchkiss's  earnest,  genial  face  regarded 
him  tentatively,  and  Lindsay  shivered.  He 
would  have  to  be  extremely  careful  with  his 
words  to  "them"  legislators.  He  hoped 
heartily  that  the  affair  would  succeed,  but 
he  must  not  lift  a  finger,  even  by  accident, 
72 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

to  make  it.  With  his  eyes  on  the  broad 
countenance  he  meditated  what  he  should 
say  to  this  good  soul,  but  his  mind  would 
not  concentrate  on  him  or  on  business. 
There  were  voices  outside,  down  the  hall. 
Suddenly,  as  they  came  nearer,  he  caught 
a  tone. 

With  eyes  that  were  instantly  alert,  Lind- 
say stared  beyond  the  figures  in  the  dim 
light  of  the  corridor  at  Evelyn  Minor's  gold 
hair  shining  from  the  half -darkness,  framing 
her  face,  it  seemed  to  him,  like  a  halo.  He 
did  not  know  what  became  of  Hotchkiss. 
It  is  to  be  supposed  that  he  made  some 
parting  remarks,  but  he  did  not  hear  them. 
What  happened,  to  his  knowledge,  was  that 
Evelyn  spoke  in  her  buoyant  voice,  with  the 
odd  little  jolt  at  every  few  words. 

"We  ought  to  go,  too,  Mrs.  Clinton,"  she 
was  saying.  "We're  only  asked  to  a  tea, 
you  know,  and  the  moon  is  up — look  there !" 
73 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

Beyond  the  French  windows  of  the  pink- 
and-gilt  room  was  a  veranda,  and  beyond 
that  an  open  space  of  garden,  and  between 
the  broad  fingers  of  a  great-leafed  palm  a 
silver  disk  laid  its  calm  glory  against  a 
delicate  sky. 

"  Oh,  is  the  moon  up?"  asked  the  Govern- 
or, with  sudden  interest,  as  if  moons  were 
his  particular  affair.  "Have  you  it  out 
there?  Won't  you  show  it  to  me,  please?" 

Ogilvie  smiled  agedly  at  Mrs.  Clinton  as 
Evelyn's  white  gown  and  the  swinging 
shoulders  of  the  Governor  went  side  by  side 
towards  the  palms  and  the  moonlight.  But 
his  words  were  not  of  them. 

"  You  look  as  if  this  room  had  been  built 
around  you,"  he  remarked.  Mrs.  Clinton 
gave  a  matter-of-fact  glance  about. 

"  Pretty  room,  isn't  it?"  she  said.  "  Let's 
go  into  the  other  one,"  and  she  strolled  into 
the  now  empty,  big  drawing-room,  drifting 
74 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

along  its  length,  and  finally  settling,  like  a 
butterfly  on  a  branch,  on  the  arm  of  a  large, 
green  chair.  She  kicked  the  trailing  skirts 
from  her  with  a  shining  boot,  and  the  move- 
ment would  have  been  undignified  in  any 
one  else,  but  in  her  it  was  piquant.  Then 
she  looked  down  and  cocked  her  head  anx- 
iously. 

"  I  think  I've  caught  my  heel  in  my  skirt 
and  torn  it.  Stupid,  isn't  it?" 

There  was  a  foam  of  silk  and  chiffon  and 
lace  in  countless  ripples  about  the  bottom 
of  the  skirt,  and  she  lifted  a  corner. 

"Here  it  is  —  see!"  and  Ogilvie  looked 
with  interest  at  a  dangling  bit  of  pink 
cobweb. 

"Give  me  a  pin,"  she  ordered;  "I  never 
have  one  about  me."  The  young  man 
drew  out  his  scarf-pin. 

"Not  that,"  and  the  gray  eyes  laughed 
up  at  him;  "that's  a  scarab,  isn't  it?  Cen- 
75 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

turies  old  and  hundreds  valuable.  I'd  lose 
it  in  five  minutes.  You'll  have  to  go  and 
get  some  if  there  isn't  one  under  the  lapel 
of  your  coat,"  and  the  docile  secretary  fled 
with  a  rush.  As  she  waited,  childishly 
swinging  the  heels  that  had  done  the 
damage,  suddenly  Simmons,  whose  duties 
had  apparently  been  over  for  some  time, 
announced  out  of  a  blue  sky, 

"Mr.  Bibbe." 

Mrs.  Clinton,  every  breath  arrested,  saw 
the  peppery  person  whom  she  had  met  at 
the  Hamilton  Hotel  enter  the  room.  One 
glance  back  of  her  showed  Evelyn  and  Lind- 
say through  the  long  windows.  While  the 
sharp  eyes  of  the  new-comer  snapped  about 
the  empty  room,  she  sped  towards  him. 

"Oh,  how  do  you  do,  Mr.  Bibbe?"  she 
said,  eagerly,  and  the  little  man  started. 

"Madam,"  he  began,  with  dignity,  but, 
behold!  she  was  shaking  hands  with  him, 
76 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

which  he  found  not  unpleasant,  and  her 
cordial  voice  was  tripping  on:  "  I've  wanted 
so  much  to  meet  you,  Mr.  Bibbe;  I  know 
some  people  whom  you  know,  and  I've 
heard  so  much  about  you." 

Mr.  Bibbe  was  quite  willing  to  spend  a 
moment  on  this  worthy  little  person  who 
seemed  of  so  appreciative  a  disposition. 
"  Indeed,  madam,"  he  said,  with  as  near  an 
approach  to  cordiality  as  he  knew,  "I  am 
pleased  to  meet  you.  And  who,  may  I  in- 
quire, are  our  mutual  friends?" 

"  Oh,  never  mind  about  them  now."  Mrs. 
Clinton  tossed  the  question  aside  airily, 
and  Mr.  Bibbe,  a  trifle  dazed,  put  down  this 
jump  to  the  unvarying  flightiness  of  woman- 
kind. ' '  I  will  tell  you  all  about  that  later, ' ' 
and  a  dazzling  smile  took  the  edge  off  Mr. 
Bibbe' s  temper  again.  "I  want  to  talk  to 
you  now  about — about" — frightful  mental 
gymnastics  were  taking  place  in  the  arena 
77 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

of  Mrs.  Clinton's  brain,  and  again  Ogilvie 
was  the  one  desire  of  a  heart  —  "about 
rheumatism!"  She  brought  it  out  with  a 
crow  of  joy.  "  I'm  such  a  sad  sufferer  my- 
self," and  she  laughed  gleefully,  "and  I 
hear  you  have  it,  too.  What  do  you  find 
to  be  the  best  remedy?" 

Mr.  Bibbe  cleared  his  throat  for  an  ex- 
haustive reply.  Here  he  was  on  his  own 
ground  and  at  his  best.  But  the  oration 
was  snatched  from  his  lips. 

"  I've  tried  a  lot  of  things.  Oh,  such  lots 
and  lots,  some  of  them  very  queer  ones,  you 
know.  Have  you  ever  taken  Smith's  Cel- 
ery Compound?  Or  Jones's  Malt  Whiskey? 
That  did  me  some  good."  And  "Will  Mr. 
Ogilvie  never  come  back?"  she  was  crying 
inwardly. 

Mr.  Bibbe  stared  at  her,  astounded,  fas- 
cinated, yet,  from  long  habit,  pugnacious. 
"Madam,  such  things  are  ridiculous,  crimi- 
78 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

nal,"  he  began,  and  at  that  moment  Evelyn 
Minor's  voice  spoke  distinctly  from  the 
window  across  the  quiet  room. 

"Oh,  Mrs.  Clinton,  oughtn't  we  to  be 
going?  The  Governor  is  dining  out,  and 
it's—" 

Mrs.  Clinton  interrupted  her  with  a  laugh 
as  brilliant  as  a  chime  of.  bells.  "  In  five 
minutes,  but  not  before.  Go  back  to — to 
that  gentleman.  I  must  talk  to  Mr.  Bibbe. 
I  will  talk  to  Mr.  Bibbe." 

Mr.  Bibbe' s  eyes  had  caught  sight  of  the 
figure  beyond  Evelyn's,  its  white  sling 
showing  conspicuously  against  the  dark 
garden  greens.  "Pardon  me,  madam,"  he 
said.  "  That  gentleman  with  his  arm  in  the 
sling  must  be  the  Governor.  I  am  anxious 
to  see  him  and  I  am  a  trifle  hurried,  as  my 
sister  is  awaiting  me.  I  will  bid  you  good- 
day." 

He  held  out  his  hand  with  what  was  for 
79 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

him  cordiality,  and  Mrs.  Clinton  took  it 
earnestly,  and  then,  to  his  surprise,  kept  it. 
Mr.  Bibbe,  to  whom  a  woman's  touch  was  a 
novelty,  felt  a  curious  glow  that  began  in 
the  ringers  entrapped  and  spread  sweetness 
through  his  sour  being. 

"But,  Mr.  Bibbe,  just  a  moment.  The 
Governor —  Oh  no,  that  is  not  the  Governor 
— that  is  just  an  American  with  a  broken 
arm."  The  pathetic  voice  flowed  on  quick- 
ly: "But,  Mr.  Bibbe — just  till  the  Govern- 
or comes — there's  something  I  want  to  tell 

• 

you  so  much.  You  wouldn't  go  off  and 
leave  me,  would  you?  Oh  yes,  I  know! 
This  is  it.  I  wanted  to  tell  you  about  our 
trip  down.  You  didn't  hear  about  it?  We 
were — we  were  shipwrecked!" 

Mr.  Bibbe' s  eyes,  wide  with  astonishment, 
fixed  themselves  on  the  fascinating  face. 
He  forgot  the  Governor.     This  was  an  ex- 
traordinary statement,  but  then  this  was  no 
80 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

ordinary  woman,  he  could  see  that ;  she  had 
a  most  interesting  way;  the  small  fingers 
still  held  his  willing  hand;  he  would  listen 
yet  a  moment  and  see  what  she  meant.  Mrs. 
Clinton  hurried  on,  clutching  shamelessly: 
"Yes,  we  were — we  were  shipwrecked  on  a 
desert  island,  and — 

Mr.  Bibbe  was  forced  to  interrupt.  "  Mad- 
am !  On  the  way  from  New  York  to  Ber- 
muda?" 

Mrs.  Clinton  gazed  up  at  him  with  her 
soul  in  her  eyes.  "Yes,  indeed.  Wasn't  it 
strange?  Nobody  knew  it  was  there,  and 
all  the  scientists  say  it  was  likely  just  up- 
heaved. Just  in  time  to  catch  us.  And  we 
camped  under  some  big  trees — you  know, 
what  I  mean  is  that  there  weren't  any  trees, 
so,  as  we  had  saved  some  blankets,  we 
stretched  them  on  the  skeleton  of  a — 

Mr.  Bibbe  was  looking  a  little  queer,  and 
she  regarded  him  critically. 

6  8l 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

"Now,  Mr.  Bibbe,  just  wait  till  I  get 
through  before  you  doubt  me.  You  don't 
know  how  it  hurts  me  to  have  you  doubt 
me." 

There  was  an  emphasis  on  "you"  and 
pressure  from  the  hand,  and  Mr.  Bibbe  com- 
muned with  his  own  heart  and  was  still. 
But  not  Mrs.  Clinton. 

"The  most  awful  part  is  coming.  We 
almost  starved,  you  know,  and  the  captain 
ate  a  sailor." 

A  horrified  exclamation  broke  from  the 
lips  of  the  audience. 

"  He  did ;  they  ate  three  sailors  altogether ; 
our  sufferings  were  frightful.  But  I  never 
ate  a  soul." 

"Madam,"  said  Mr.  Bibbe,  "you  are 
surely  exaggerating,  you  are  surely  amus- 
ing yourself." 

But  the  sweet  voice  stopped  him  re- 
proachfully. "Amusing  myself — with  you !" 
82 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

And  the  hypnotized  victim  was  silenced. 
"Will  that  man  never  come?  Can  I  hold 
him  another  minute?"  Mrs.  Clinton  was 
wondering,  in  an  agony.  Once  again  she 
spurred  to  the  battle,  but  it  was  desperate 
work  now. 

"A  great  big  tidal  wave  came.  I  don't 
know  if  it  was  tidal,  but  it  was  enormous, 
anyway  —  a  hundred  feet  high.  And  the 
only  reason  it  didn't  drown  us  all  was  that 
the  island  was  tall — bumpy — I  mean  moun- 
tainous— and  we  .rushed  up  on  the  hills,  and 
it  didn't.  And  so  we  all—  Oh,  Mr.  Ogil- 
vie!" 

A  messenger  from  the  skies  could  not  have 
been  greeted  with  as  much  rapture.  "Mr. 
Ogilvie,  let  me  present  you  to  Mr.  Bibbe." 

Ogilvie  gave  an  Englishman's  brief  ac- 
knowledgment, but  pins  were  in  his  hand 
and  on  his  mind,  and  no  light  of  apprecia- 
tion shone  in  his  eyes. 
83 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

Mrs.  Clinton  repeated,  "Mr.  Bibbe,  Mr. 
Ogilvie  —  Miss  Bibbe's  brother,"  impress- 
ively. With  a  start,  with  one  look  at  the 
surprised  Mr.  Bibbe,  the  young  man  had 
dashed  away  down  the  long  room,  and  out 
through  the  French  windows.  The  dazed 
visitor,  staring  after  him,  saw  him  speak  to 
the  American  with  the  broken  arm,  and  im- 
mediately the  latter  had  vanished.  A  curi- 
ous feeling  of  uneasiness  seized  Mr.  Bibbe. 

"  Beg  pardon,  madam,"  he  said,  "but  are 
you  quite  certain  that  gentleman  is  not  the 
Governor?  Is  it  possible  that  you  are  mis- 
informed? I  am  very  anxious — 

"Here  comes  Mr.  Ogilvie  back  again," 
said  Mrs.  Clinton,  and  her  manner  had 
changed  entirely.  She  was  so  careless,  so 
disengaged,  that  he  looked  at  her  in  surprise. 
"Mr.  Ogilvie  is  the  Governor's  nephew  and 
secretary — he  ought  to  know." 

Ogilvie,  strolling  up,  felt  his  ears  grow  an 
84 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

inch  with  astonishment  at  the  dialogue 
which  followed.  Mr.  Bibbe,  his  mind  at 
cross-purposes  with  what  he  had  heard, 
took  a  back  lap  in  the  conversation. 

"Madam,  may  I  inquire  again  into  your 
statement  as  to  the  case  of  cannibalism  you 
report.  Did  you  seriously  intend  your  hor- 
rible story  as  to  the  captain?" 

' '  What  ?' '  Mrs.  Clinton's  eyes  looked  per- 
plexed. "What  captain?  Oh!"  And  she 
laughed,  to  Mr.  Bibbe's  bewilderment.  "  Mr. 
Ogilvie,  good-night — good-night,  Mr.  Bibbe 
—I  will  surely  see  you  again."  And  as 
lightly  as  a  vanishing  bit  of  rainbow  cloud 
she  was  gone. 

On  the  terrace,  before  they  went  up- 
stairs to  dress,  while  the  moon  rose  slowly 
higher  over  the  sea  and  the  palms  crackled 
in  a  light  wind,  Ogilvie  gave  the  Governor 
a  quick  resume  of  the  dangers  which  had 
been  averted  from  him. 

85 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

"  Mrs.  Clinton  is  your  guardian  angel,"  he 
said.  "  Quickest  -  witted  person  I've  ever 
seen.  Jove !  She  has  the  brain  and  execu- 
tive ability  of  a  Napoleon,  the  innocence  of  a 
child,  the  charm  of  a  woman,  and  the  sweet- 
ness of  an  angel — I  say!"  Teddy  Ogilvie's 
sentiments  outran  his  vocabulary. 

Lindsay  looked  with  thoughtful  eyes  far 
out  where  under  the  pale  moon  the  white 
line  of  breaking  water  dashed  across  the 
reef  into  marvellous  blueness  of  Bermuda 
ocean.  "Our  girls  are  that  way,"  he  said, 
with  a  serious  pride.  "Put  one  of  them 
where  you  will,  and  she  fits  the  place." 
A  smile  lighted  his  face;  with  a  turn  of  his 
graceful  head  he  lifted  one  hand  high,  as  if 
it  held  a  glass  of  champagne. 

"Here's  to  the  American  woman,  Ogil- 
vie,"  he  said.  "  No  family  should  be  with- 
out one." 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 


HROUGH  the  leafy  tunnel  of 
the  Devonshire  road — Devon- 
shire, Bermuda  —  the  trap 
bowled  along  smoothly.  In 
the  mid-heat  of  the  February 
afternoon  it  was  cool  and  shady  under  the 
cedared  way,  and  the  white  limestone  was 
dark  with  waving  shadows,  cut  by  creamy 
dapples  of  sunlight.  Stone  walls  bordered 
the  way,  and  over  them  and  in  them  were 
gay,  green  vines  and  cacti.  Suddenly  on 
the  left  was  a  precipice  faced  with  verdure 
—two  hundred  sheer  feet  it  dropped,  and 
from  the  hollow  below  strains  of  music 
floated  up  in  snatches.  The  new  Govern- 
or of  Bermuda  leaned  from  the  trap  in  as- 
87 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

tonishment,  and  stared  down  the  descent. 
He  could  hardly  believe  his  eyes.  Far  away 
in  the  green  depths,  between  open  cedar 
woods,  he  saw  a  reach  of  velvet  lawn ;  there 
were  tennis  nets  stretched  across  it,  and 
girls  in  pale  gowns  and  men  in  white  duck 
were  playing;  he  could  catch  the  glimmer 
of  the  ball  as  it  shuttled  to  and  fro.  People 
dressed  in  gay  colors  were  walking  about; 
laughter  was  wafted  up  softly;  there  was 
music — a  military  band. 

"  Ogilvie,"  he  said,  grasping  his  secretary's 
arm,  "is  that  a  real  place  or  am  I  dream- 
ing? It  looks  to  me  like  hocus-pocus." 

Teddy  Ogilvie,  his  eyes  on  the  tandem 
leader,  grinned.  "Real  enough,"  he  an- 
swered, in  a  practical  tone.  "That's  where 
we're  going;  that's  Happy  Valley." 

And  the  lovely  Shakespearian  scene,  al- 
most too  idyllic  to  be  true  in  a  world  where 
cooking  is  done,  was  merely  the  Tennis  Club 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

of  Bermuda.  The  swift  days  of  the  new 
Governor  were  filled  with  a  flashing  succes- 
sion of  such  beautiful,  unreal  impressions. 
Bermuda  seen  from  any  standpoint  is  a 
portfolio  of  water  -  colors.  Around  every 
turn  is  a  new  picture,  a  new  combination  of 
blue-green  foliage  and  long,  pale  roads,  and 
snowy  -  roofed,  white  houses,  with  every- 
where in  the  background  the  intense,  shim- 
mering, turquoise  blue  of  the  coral-bottomed 
ocean.  To  the  most  obscure  visitor  at  the 
hotels  it  is  a  holiday  land,  where  cold  and 
work  and  responsibility  are  forgotten ;  where 
the  world  is  as  lovely  and  as  light-hearted 
as  every  man's  ideal  world  should  be.  To 
the  humblest  traveller  it  is  all  this;  to  the 
new  Governor,  for  whom  every  spot,  every 
face,  put  on  its  brightest  smile,  it  was  an 
earthly  paradise.  As  is  a  man's  way,  when 
the  delicate  loveliness  of  land  and  sea  most 
affected  him,  he  was  silent,  and  stared  with 
89 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

absorbed  eyes  and  never  a  word  to  say. 
But  the  beauty  of  the  little  country,  the 
kindness  of  the  people,  went  to  Lindsay's 
soul  and  cut  into  it  keenly  when  it  came  to 
him,  as  it  did  constantly,  that  he  was  cheat- 
ing these  good  friends  of  his.  Yet,  after  that 
first  step  which  costs,  the  path  of  power  was 
so  rapid  a  toboggan  slide  for  Lindsay  that 
he  had  little  time  for  reflection.  Events 
rushed  past  him  as  the  landscape  slips  by  a 
child  on  a  sled,  and  the  excitement  of  the 
rush  was  the  largest  part  of  what  he  felt. 
Yet  he  was,  after  all,  a  man  and  not  a  child, 
and  a  feeling  stronger  than  even  that  in- 
terest of  the  moment  which  had  all  his  life 
possessed  him,  when  once  under  its  sway, 
was  gaining  every  day  a  firmer  hold.  Ev- 
ery day  the  beauty  of  these  coral  islands 
took  more  certainly  the  place  of  a  back- 
ground, a  setting,  for  the  frank  and  sun- 
shiny face,  the  light  figure  of  Evelyn  Minor. 
90 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

When  he  leaned  from  the  trap  and  gazed 
down  into  Happy  Valley,  it  was  the  glimpse 
of  her  white  dress  which  made  the  place 
perfect  in  its  loveliness.  When  he  sat  at 
tea-time  on  the  piazza  of  the  picturesque 
white  -  limestone  Garrison  Golf  Club,  after 
eighteen  close  holes  played  triumphantly 
out,  and  looked  through  the  clump  of  palm- 
trees  across  the  white  thread  of  the  North 
Shore  drive  to  the  theatrical  blue  water  and 
the  reef  breaking  in  jewelled  mist  between 
sea  and  sky,  it  was  odd  that  the  rustle  of  the 
wind  through  the  palms  had  so  lonely  a 
sound.  It  was  odder  that  its  moaning 
turned  swiftly  to  a  cheerful  quickstep  when 
he  caught  sight  of  a  white  -  shirted,  trim- 
skirted  girl,  with  sleeves  rolled  back  over 
her  arms  and  bare  hair  blowing,  who  march- 
ed across  to  the  ninth  hole,  swinging  a  mid- 
iron  as  she  went. 

When  the  sham  battle  was  fought  up 


U 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

the  same  North  Shore,  and  the  negroes  in 
scarlet  jackets  and  white  blouses  and  full 
blue  trousers,  the  startling  uniform  of  the 
West  Indian  Zouaves,  came  stealing  by 
twos  and  threes  through  the  cedars  over  the 
hill,  and  the  troops  below  manoeuvred,  and 
the  band  played  dashing  airs,  it  was  dis- 
graceful, Lindsay  felt,  that  the  Governor,  for 
whom  all  this  was  being  done,  could  not 
fix  his  mind  on  any  of  it  till  he  had  found 
in  the  line  of  carriages  which  were  the  au- 
dience the  one  that  held  Evelyn  Minor. 

The  reins  of  power,  guided  by  Ogilvie's 
knowledge  and  his  own  wisdom,  his  quick 
tact  and  gift  of  management  of  men,  lay  in 
his  hands  as  lightly  as  might  be.  The 
Governor  was  going  slow,  said  the  men  of 
affairs  of  the  little  colony;  he  would  not 
make  any  radical  move  until  he  knew  his 
ground;  it  was  better  and  safer  so;  they 
were  satisfied  with  this,  as  with  everything 
92 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

else  about  the  man.  But  between  the 
necessary  work  and  the  play  almost  as 
necessary,  the  hours  of  the  new  Governor 
were  strenuous,  and  it  made  him  impatient 
that  he  must  postpone  from  one  to  another 
of  these  swift- vanishing  days  what  he  most 
wanted  to  do.  More  than  the  game  of 
governing  now  he  wanted  to  have  Evelyn 
Minor  to  himself,  to  win  a  more  solid  place 
in  her  world,  to  be  with  her  alone,  where  an 
officer  from  the  Nautilus  or  an  officer  from 
the  barracks  was  not  due  any  moment  to 
share  and  spoil  his  happiness.  The  only 
plan  he  could  think  of  to  bring  about  this 
perfect  state  of  things  was  a  horseback  ride, 
for  his  left  hand  was  not  the  injured  one, 
and  he  could  manage  the  reins.  Lindsay 
consulted  Teddy  Ogilvie  on  all  subjects,  to 
his  neckties  and  stockings,  but  he  did  not 
consult  him  on  this,  and  it  was  in  spite  of 
the  secretary,  and  not  with  his  help,  that  he 
93 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

found,  after  several  days,  a  possible  after- 
noon. Evelyn  Minor's  eyes  showed  sur- 
prise, but  pleasure  as  well,  when  he  asked 
her  to  ride  with  him. 

"Of  course,"  she  said.  "I  shall  be  de- 
lighted. No,  not  an  engagement — and  if  I 
had  I  would  throw  over  every  one  else  for 
the  Governor." 

Lindsay  looked  at  her,  not  quite  satis- 
fied. "I  don't  care  about  the  Governor," 
he  said.  "Would  you  for  me?" 

And  the  girl  laughed,  flushed  a  little,  yet 
kept  her  dignity  with  a  non-committal  an- 
swer. "Haven't  you  noticed  that  you  are 
the  Governor?" 

Far  down  the  wild  south   shore  of  Ber- 

• 

muda  is  Spanish  Rock.  Three  hundred  and 
fifty  years  ago  sailors  from  an  adventurous 
Spanish  ship  landed  there,  on  this  unknown 
scrap  of  land  in  the  Atlantic,  the  most 
northern  of  all  coral  islands,  and  they  carved 
94 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

there  the  initials  of  their  old-world  names, 
and  cut  in  the  face  of  the  rock,  like  good 
Christians  and  Catholics,  a  great  cross. 
There  are  many  churches  in  Bermuda,  and 
peaceful  and  saintly  are  they  all,  from  little 
old  "Devonshire"  and  quaint  St.  George's 
to  the  cool  stateliness  of  the  new  cathedral. 
But  none  of  them  is  more  churchly  and  more 
solemn  than  this  most  ancient  one,  where 
age-old  rocks  are  the  flooring,  and  blue 
sky  is  the  roof,  and  black  juniper  cedars 
make  receding  aisles ;  where  winds  and  wa- 
ter sing  the  hymns  of  the  choir,  and  the 
reef,  not  a  hundred  yards  away,  rolls  a 
deep,  organ  undertone. 

Lindsay  and  Evelyn  tied  their  horses  in 
the  field  below  and  scrambled  up  the  steep 
hill-side  to  the  rocks  where  one  may  still  read 
the  old  inscription,  blacked  and  vague  with 
age,  but  yet  to  be  deciphered — "  J.  B.  1522." 
The  girl  threw  her  sailor  hat  on  the  grass, 
95 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

and  the  damp  breeze  blew  loose  hair  about 
her  face,  and  she  drew  off  her  gloves  to  push 
it  away.  Lindsay,  watching  her,  felt  a  quick 
thrill  as  her  fingers  touched  the  flushed 
cheeks.  He  turned  away  his  eyes,  and  it 
seemed  to  him  that  there  was  nothing  he 
could  say  which  he  dared  to  say.  And 
what  he  wished  most  to  dare  was  not 
language.  Evelyn,  feeling  the  thunder  in 
the  air,  felt  an  urgent  need  for  words,  and 
pounced  upon  the  ones  which  came  first. 

"  You  are  a  very  lazy  Governor,"  she  said, 
regarding  the  easy  figure  on  the  grass. 

"I  am  a  very  uncomfortable  one,"  Lind- 
say answered,  and  moved  sidewise.  "The 
rocks  are  sticking  into  me. ' '  He  pulled  him- 
self along  with  what  in  an  untitled  person 
would  have  been  a  hitch,  or  even  in  an 
awkward  person,  but  Lindsay's  well-knit, 
hard  muscles  worked  smoothly.  He  looked 
up  at  the  girl  and  laughed  like  a  boy  out 
96 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

of  school,  delighted  to  be  foolish.  "These 
Bermuda  rocks  are  the  best  sharpened  I've 
ever  met,"  he  said,  and  then  suddenly  he 
harked  back.  "I'm  not  lazy.  I've  ad- 
ministered this  colony  all  the  morning,  and 
I  have  a  right  to  a  little  happiness  after 
that.  I've  worked  very  hard  to  have  this 
afternoon  clear." 

There  was  an  uncertain,  betraying  tone 
in  his  voice,  and  his  eyes  looked  at  her 
with  an  appealing  glance  she  could  not 
meet.  Quickly  again  she  saved  herself  by 
an  escape  into  commonplace. 

"  It  is  clear,  isn't  it?"  she  said,  and  glanced 
up  critically  at  the  unclouded  sky,  but  her 
voice  shook  a  little.  She  caught  the  tone, 
and  an  indignation  with  herself  came  over 
her.  What  was  this  feeling  into  which  she 
was  drifting?  Not  a  moment  longer  would 
she  give  up  to  it.  She  pulled  herself  to- 
gether sharply,  and,  with  a  little  catch  yet 
7  97 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

in  her  gentle  tones:  "When  is  your  wife 
coming,  Governor?"  she  asked. 

For  an  instant,  under  the  shock  of  the 
words,  Lindsay  made  no  effort  to  control 
his  look;  and  as  the  girl  met  his  eyes,  filled 
with  the  unguarded  feeling  which  had  leap- 
ed to  them  and  shone  from  them,  her  own 
fell  and  the  world  trembled  about  her. 
Then,  with  what  seemed  a  wrench  of  the 
universe,  the  Governor  was  on  his  feet  and 
walking  about  under  the  cedars,  whistling. 
In  a  moment  he  had  come  back  and  was 
down  on  the  grass  again  and  talking  calmly 
as  if  that  electrical  second  had  never  been. 
"Mrs.  Clinton  tells  me  you  are  a  fierce 
American,  Miss  Minor.  This  idea  of  hers 
about  a  Washington's  birthday  party  at 
Mount  Langton  must  appeal  to  you." 

"  You  are  going  to  do  it,  then?  Good!'* 
Evelyn  fell  quickly  into  his  every-day  man- 
ner. "It  is  fine  of  you  to  consent;  not 
98 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

many  Englishmen  would  be  so  broad- 
minded." 

"You  don't  think  Englishmen  as  broad- 
minded  as  Americans?" 

She  smiled  at  him.  "Perhaps  not  all 
Englishmen.  But  one  —  now.  And  you 
know  I  am  a  patriot  only  in  spots.  I  am 
not  bigoted.  I  am  exclusively  American 
simply  in"  —  she  hesitated—  "in  one  or 
two  ways.  What  did  Mrs.  Clinton  tell 
you?  Just  what  I  said?"  She  looked  at 
him  a  bit  embarrassed. 

' '  Just  what  did  you  say  ?  Tell  me,  please." 

Evelyn  leaned  forward.  "See  the  reef," 
she  said.  "How  close  it  is  here!  Isn't  it 
magnificent?  And  it's  a  double  one.  I'd 
like  to  watch  it  in  a  storm." 

"Tell  me  what  you  said,"  Lindsay  in- 
sisted. 

Evelyn  lifted  her  head,  and  her  face  was 
indifferent.  "It's  foolish  to  make  a  point 
99 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

of  nothing.  I'll  tell  you  if  you  wish,  Govern- 
or Lindsay,  but  you  won't  find  it  interest- 
ing. I  said — it's  so  ridiculously  personal — 
I  said  there  were  two  sorts  of  men  I  would 
never  marry,  an  Englishman  or  a  liar." 
Lindsay  threw  up  his  head  quickly,  like  a 
high-strung  horse  that  is  struck.  For  a 
moment  he  did  not  speak.  Then,  "The 
horses  are  getting  restless,"  he  said.  "I 
think  we  had  better  go  home." 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 


VI 

EBRUARY    22d.        Snowy 
roads  bordered  with  drifts, 
gray  skies  and  nipping  air 
and   sleigh  -  bells   tinkling — 
Washington's  birthday. 
February  226..    Long  ways  bordered  with 
flowers,  white  sails  against  blue  of  the  bay, 
puffs    of   warm    air    that   beat   fragrance 
against  one — Washington's  birthday. 

Annette  Clinton  stood  at  her  window  in 
the  Hamilton  Hotel,  the  sunlight  pouring 
gloriously  in,  and  thought  of  the  contrast. 
It  was  that  way  at  home,  it  was  this  way 
here.  By  the  possibly  limited  standard  of 
a  dweller  on  earth,  a  day  could  not  have 
been  more  perfect.  The  right  warmth  and 
101 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

brightness  to  take  people  out-of-doors,  the 
right  freshness  and  coolness  to  make  them 
alert  and  alive.  To-day  was  the  great  day 
of  the  new  administration.  For  almost  a 
week  since  the  bright  Sunday  morning  of 
the  Trinidad's  landing  it  had  slipped  along 
the  old,  well-oiled  grooves,  steered  by  Ted- 
dy Ogilvie's  trained  hand,  held  by  Lind- 
say's strong  and  bold  grip,  with  the  smooth- 
ness of  a  well-fitted  machine.  Each  day  of 
its  life  was  a  joyful  surprise  to  the  con- 
spirators, yet  so  simply,  so  naturally,  did 
events  shape  themselves  to  the  situation 
that  already  the  poise  on  the  edge  of  the 
precipice  began  to  feel  sure  to  them.  Lind- 
say laughed  more  than  once  as  he  caught 
himself  accepting  the  honors  of  his  office  in 
good  faith.  Ogilvie  had  handled  the  cable- 
grams to  and  from  New  York  with  skill  and 
daring,  and  then  suddenly,  two  days  before, 
the  cable  had  been  broken  —  cut  —  no  one 
102 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

quite  understood — and  it  was  not  yet  re- 
paired. The  Orinoco,  the  Trinidad's  sister- 
ship,  was  in  New  York  with  a  broken  shaft, 
and  would  not  be  in  sailing  order  for  a  week, 
and  Ogilvie  had  managed  to  detain  the 
Trinidad  herself  in  Hamilton  harbor,  so  that 
she  had  only  just  sailed,  and  would  not  be 
due  again  from  America  for  some  time. 
To  all  appearances  the  meteoric  govern- 
ment, with  almost  a  week  of  success,  had 
days  yet  to  run.  Its  perpetrators,  care  cast 
to  the  Bermuda  winds,  were  enjoying  with 
a  rounded  and  perfect  irresponsibility  their 
criminal  career. 

"If  this  Washington's  birthday  celebra- 
tion only  goes  through!"  Mrs.  Clinton  ad- 
jured the  pulsing  skies  from  her  window. 
"Then  the  world  may  come  to  an  end! 
Then  we  shall  have  lived!" 

It  was  an  extraordinary,  a  unique  day,  in 
the  annals  of  the  islands.  All  the  school- 
103 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

children,  by  request  of  the  Governor,  were 
given  a  holiday,  in  honor  of  that  great  Eng- 
lishman, George  Washington,  and  all  were 
invited  to  lunch  in  the  grounds  of  the  Gov- 
ernment House,  and  to  assist  at  the  rais- 
ing of  a  flag  on  the  new  flag-staff  of  Mount 
Langton.  With  the  far-reaching  care  of 
detail,  the  executive  faculty,  the  genius  of 
work,  for  which  the  new  Governor  was 
already  distinguished,  the  whole  affair  had 
been  planned  and  carried  out,  and  two 
o'clock  found  numbers  of  fresh  little  faces 
smiling  and  numbers  of  cheerful  little  voices 
chattering  about  white  -  covered  tables 
spread  on  the  lawn.  The  Governor  had 
been  out  and  about,  talking  to  them,  and 
each  child  had  an  impression  that  the  gay, 
kind  face  looked  particularly  happy  because 
that  child  was  there.  The  Governor's  party 
were  now  at  luncheon  in-doors,  but  later  the 
public  were  invited,  the  flag  was  to  be  raised, 
104 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

and  there  was  to  be  a  speech  from  the  man 
who  had  so  quickly  won  all  their  hearts. 
As  the  luncheon-party  rose  from  the  table, 
Mrs.  Clinton,  to-day  a  dream  of  cloudy 
lavender  against  which  a  long  rope  of  am- 
ethysts sparkled  with  delicate  emphasis 
down  her  slim  shoulders  —  Mrs.  Clinton's 
gowns  were  always  events — drifted  lightly 
against  Teddy  Ogilvie. 

"I  beg  your  pardon.  I  didn't  mean  to 
hurt  you.  I  hope  you're  not  injured,"  the 
little  woman  said,  in  a  breath. 

"Come  along  with  me  to  the  terrace. 
Coffee  is  to  be  there.  You  don't  want  to 
see  the  portrait -gallery,"  growled  Ogilvie, 
softly. 

"I'm  not  sure.  What  are  they  going  to 
do  in  the  portrait-gallery?" 

The  hunting  pink  of  the  secretary's  cheeks 
broke  into  joyful  cracks.  "One  of  Lind- 
say's extras.  Didn't  you  hear?  He  told 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

them  that  old  Lindsay,  who  was  Governor 
in  1747,  was  his  ancestor,  and  he's  going 
to  show  them  the  likeness.  Jove !  I  don't 
see  how  the  man  dares.  But  it  all  goes  if 
he  does  it — he's  the  gift  of  popularity,  for 
sure.  Never  saw  such  a  chap  in  all  my 
days!" 

Mrs.  Clinton,  floating  along  like  a  sunset 
fresh  from  France,  by  Ogilvie's  side,  arrived 
on  the  still  empty  terrace.  "  When  one  has 
plenty  of  power  and  no  principles  and  no 
future,  one  isn't  much  hampered,"  was  her 
simple  explanation. 

'I  want  to  ask  you  to  drop  a  word  to 
your — to  the  Governor,  about  this  speech 
he  is  to  make,"  the  young  Englishman  said. 
"He's  a  bit  dotty  about  it — plans  to  go  it 
rather  strong  on  the  American  tack,  I'm 
afraid.  Says  he's  going  to  make  them 
cheer  for  George  Washington  and  the  red, 
white,  and  blue.  Won't  do  to  lay  it  on  too 
106 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

thick,  don't  you  know.  It's  a  good  game 
about  Washington's  birthday,  and  our  little 
arrangement  as  to  the  flags — that's  quite 
right.  Beautiful.  But  we  can't  have  the 
Governor  lose  his  popularity.  This  speech 
will  be  reported.  He'd  best  go  slow." 

Mrs.  Clinton's  distinguishing  characteris- 
tic was  not  absence  of  opinions  of  her  own. 
"  I  don't  agree  with  you,"  she  asserted,  and 
Ogilvie  considered  how  a  bunch  of  sweet- 
peas  or  a  branch  of  lilacs  could  be  de- 
cided. "  He's  quite  right  to  make  the  eagle 
scream.  It's  the  chance  of  his  life." 

"Oh,  but  you  are  all  wrong,"  argued 
Ogilvie.  "He'll  run  the  whole  thing  into 
danger." 

"  Danger  of  what?"  demanded  the  laven- 
der fairy.  "The  world  comes  to  an  end  in 
a  few  days  at  best."  And  then  the  un- 
canny, fascinating  face  smiled  up  confident- 
ly to  the  six-foot  level  of  his  eyes.  "We 
107 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

needn't  worry.  We  can  trust  him.  Have 
you  seen  his  tact  fail?  Wait  and  you'll 
notice  how  he  will  feel,  from  word  to  word, 
just  what  he  ought  to  say.  Here  they  are. 
Admiral,  did  you  find  the  likeness  in  the  old 
portrait?  I  don't  believe  he  was  the  Gov- 
ernor's ancestor  at  all,  you  know." 

Lindsay,  standing  over  her,  laughed  easi- 
ly. "  They  all  agree  it  was  striking — he  was 
a  horrible,  ugly  old  chap.  Why  didn't  you 
come?  You  mustn't  steal  away  and  trifle 
with  my  nephew's  affections.  You  Amer- 
ican women  are  dangerous." 

"Admiral,  may  I  trifle  with  your  affec- 
tions? The  executive  protection  isn't  over 
you,  is  it?" 

To  Lindsay's  nervous  mind,  rasped  and  on 
edge  with  one  idea,  his  cousin's  pretty  frivol- 
ity, which  the  Admiral  found  enchanting,  was 
uninteresting,  even  irritating.  He  was  carry- 
ing off  his  part  to-day  better,  perhaps,  with 
108 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

a  more  careless  and  brilliant  touch,  that  his 
heart  was  not  in  it.  Evelyn  Minor's  words 
were  rankling,  and  had  chosen  to-day  to 
rankle  with  peculiar  bitterness.  "An  Eng- 
lishman or  a  liar,"  she  had  said.  She 
thought  him  the  first.  He  knew  himself 
the  second.  Would  she  ever  believe  him  an 
honest  man  now,  a  dignified  citizen,  after 
this  jugglery?  Had  he,  perhaps,  thrown 
away  his  chance  of  happiness  for  a  week  of 
theatricals?  His  plan  of  the  day  would 
have  been  to  send  the  ninety-and-nine  of 
his  guests  about  their  business  and  to  put 
in  the  afternoon  explaining  the  situation  to 
one.  So  there  was  an  undertow  of  rest- 
lessness, carrying  him  out  to  a  sea  of  reck- 
lessness, beneath  the  sparkling  surface  of 
his  manner.  But  events  were  marching 
fast ;  he  must  keep  his  wits  about  him,  and 
play  his  role,  so  irksome  to-day,  with  credit. 
Any  moment  might  bring  complications — 
109 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

for  instance,  why  should  Ogilvie,  who  had 
been  called  into  the  house  a  moment  be- 
fore, be  staring  at  him  with  an  expression 
like  an  agitated  punch-bag?  The  secretary 
managed  to  cut  out  his  principal  from  the 
chatter  of  the  satellites. 

"Lindsay,"  he  began,  excitedly — "Gen- 
eral, I  mean — there's  trouble." 

Lindsay's  eyes,  smouldering  with  other 
fires,  gazed  at  him  impassively. 

"  I  won't  go  into  details,  but  that  damned 
Bellerophon's  off  St.  George's,  and  my  uncle 
is  on  board." 

The  usurping  Governor  of  Bermuda 
showed  his  good  blood  by  the  quietness 
with  which  he  took  the  shock.  A  spark 
flashed  from  deep  down  in  his  eyes,  but  no 
muscle  stirred. 

Ogilvie  went  on  in  a  perturbed,  hurried 
growl.  "  I  ought  to  have  known  this  would 
happen  —  never  thought  of  the  old  boy's 
no 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

snapping  up  the  ship  in  New  York.  I  call 
it  a  low  turn,  to  get  back  at  us  this  way. 
It  looks  as  if  Providence  wouldn't  have 
English  war-ships  sent  after  beer.  Prompt, 
by  Jove  !  Return  trip.  But  there's  a 
blazing  hurry  —  what  are  you  going  to 
do?" 

Lindsay  wrinkled  his  forehead,  and  Ogil- 
vie  watched  the  wrinkles  closely  with  the 
hope  that  something  was  going  on  under 
them.  "Ogilvie,  tell  me  if  this  is  a  com- 
petent lie :  find  O'Neill,  give  him  this  or- 
der— he  is  to  intercept  the  Governor,  be- 
fore landing  if  possible,  after  if  necessary, 
and  tell  him  from  you  that  yellow-fever  has 
broken  out  at  Mount  Langton,  and  that 
he  is  on  no  account  to  come  to  Hamilton 
until  further  news  from  you.  O'Neill  is  a 
fool,  but  he's  all  we  have.  How  is  that? 
Will  it  work?" 

"  It's  got  to,  for  a  few  hours,"  said  Teddy 
in 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

Ogilvie.  "It  sounds  rattling  to  me,  any- 
way, and  we  haven't  time  to  think  up  an- 
other. Anything  else?" 

"How    was    your    message  —  by    tele- 
phone?" 
"Yes." 

"He  hadn't  come  ashore?" 
"No.     Wanted  a  carriage  sent." 
"  He'll  wait  to  hear  from  you,  then.  That's 
all  right.     You'd  better  telephone  at  once 
that  a  message  is  coming,  and  O'Neill  must 
ride  like  the  devil.     I  think  that  will  delay 
the  Governor  till  seven  o'clock  or  so.    And 
after  that " — he  threw  out  his  hand — "  after 
that  the  deluge." 

Ogilvie  wasted  a  long  heart  -  beat  in  a 
lambent  grin.  "Jove!  if  you  aren't  the 
Governor,  you  ought  to  be!  I'll  bet  a  hun- 
dred no  Bermuda  chief  officer  ever  thought 
as  quick  as  that  before."  And  the  eyes 
that  were  on  the  Governor  opened  to  see 
112 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

his  nephew,  apparently  out  of  a  blue  sky, 
suddenly  wring  his  hand. 

As  the  young  man  disappeared  the  face 
of  the  genial  Hotchkiss  rose  in  his  place 
before  Lindsay's  eyes,  and  it  was  something 
of  an  effort  to  pay  attention  quickly  to 
what  he  was  saying. 

"Well,  Governor,  good-day!  Good-day, 
sir!" 

The  repartee  to  that  was  simple. 

"I  give  you  fair  warnin',  sir,  that  I'm 
goin'  to  attack  you  in  your  forts  to-mor- 
row, Governor,  sir.  It's  that  trolley  scheme 
I'm  badgerin'  you  about,  and  I'm  goin'  to 
badger  you  again,  but  only  once,  I  hope. 
I  know  you  approve  of  it,  and  wish  it  well 
— I  ain't  so  slow  that  I  haven't  gathered 
that  much.  And  you're  right  to  be  cautious 
—that's  all  correct,  sir,  all  correct.  But  to- 
morrow mornin',  bright  and  early,  I'm  corn- 
in'  to  you  for  a  mite  o'  definite  support. 

8  113 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

Old  Hotchkiss  is  a  bore,  ain't  he,  Governor? 
But  that's  all  —  I'm  just  givin'  you  fair 
warnin',  sir." 

Lindsay  put  a  cordial  hand  on  the  man's 
shoulder.  "Old  Hotchkiss  is  a  mighty 
good  fellow,  and  we  all  know  it,"  he  said, 
heartily,  with  the  gentleness  in  his  manner 
which  the  man  inspired.  "I'll  tell  you 
what,  Hotchkiss — if  the  world  doesn't  come 
to  an  end  to-day,  I'll  do  what  you  wish  to- 
morrow ;  that's  the  best  I  can  promise  you, 
Hotchkiss;  I  wish  it  were  better." 

"Don't  ask  any  better — couldn't  wish 
any  better,"  smiled  Hotchkiss,  as  innocent- 
ly pleased  as  a  gentle-souled  elephant,  and 
Lindsay  turned  to  greet  the  venerable  Bish- 
op of  Bermuda,  who,  in  the  dignity  of  his 
knee-breeches  and  episcopal  costume,  came 
towards  him  across  the  terrace. 

The  manner  of  the  younger  man's  def- 
erence was,  alone,  enough  to  win  any 
114 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

Bishop's  good-will,  but  Lindsay  held  it  on 
more  solid  grounds.  Mrs.  Clinton,  a  few 
yards  away,  was  struck  by  the  beauty  of  the 
two  standing  together,  the  aristocratic  old 
head  of  the  Bishop  with  its  thatch  of  silver, 
and  his  English  color,  a  fine  harmony  and 
contrast  with  Lindsay's  close-knit,  muscular 
grace,  his  bright-brown  hair  and  clear,  dark 
face.  With  a  confidence  that  everybody 
wanted  her  always,  she  tripped  across  to 
them  and  listened  with  frank  inquisitiveness. 

"Oh,  did  he  send  you  a  big  check?"  she 
said.  "And  is  he  going  to  help  you  about 
those  churches?  He  is  a  good  Governor, 
isn't  he?" 

The  Bishop,  shocked  by  this  American 
freedom,  yet  somehow  found  himself  hold- 
ing a  rose-leaf  hand  in  one  of  his,  and  patting 
it  with  the  other.  But  he  turned  to  the 
Governor  with  some  impressiveness  in  his 
manner. 

"5 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

"  The  little  woman  is  right,  General," 
he  said.  "It  is  a  pleasure  to  me  to  tell 
you  that  we  all  think  so  of  you — a  good 
Governor.  This  administration  of  a  few 
days  is  already  richer  in  good  deeds  than 
many  a  full  term  I  have  known." 

"Don't,  Bishop,"  pleaded  Lindsay,  dis- 
tressed. "Let  me  assure  you  that  any- 
thing I  have  done  has  been  done  from  mo- 
tives of  the  purest  selfishness." 

The  Bishop  loosened  Mrs.  Clinton's  hand 
to  put  one  of  his  affectionately  on  Lindsay's 
shoulder.  "No,"  he  said — "no,  General. 
Selfishness  does  not  bring  happiness  to  all 
around,  as  you  have  brought  it.  You're  a 
good  man,"  he  said,  in  his  gentle  old  voice. 
"You're  a  good  man." 

And  Lindsay  was  conscious  of  a  hotness 
in  the  crown  of  his  head,  as  if  coals  of  fire 
were  penetrating.  He  spoke  after  a  mo- 
ment. "  Bishop,"  he  said,  softly,  "  I've 
116 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

heard  that  the  world  is  a  looking-glass;  if 
you  look  into  it  with  kind  eyes,  you  see 
only  kindness.  You've  given  me  the  best 
and  the  worst  moment  I've  had  in  Bermuda. 
Thank  you  for  both.  Now  will  you  let  me 
leave  you  in  the  care  of  this  Star-Spangled 
Banner,  Mrs.  Clinton?  I  see  my  nephew, 
and  I  must  speak  to  him." 

Ogilvie,  in  fact,  had  been  stopped  on  his 
way  by  that  man  of  destiny,  Mr.  Bibbe, 
seeking  as  before,  with  increasing  hunger, 
his  interview  with  the  new  Governor.  In- 
nocently enough  the  new  Governor  walked 
into  the  lion's  jaws.  He  had  only  had  a 
glimpse  of  Bibbe  on  the  day  of  the  recep- 
tion, and  had  forgotten  all  about  him.  But 
Teddy  Ogilvie  was  equal  to  many  emer- 
gencies. Lindsay  coming  up  behind  the 
young  fellow  laid  his  hand  on  his  shoul- 
der. 

"Did  you  send  the  message?"  he  asked, 
117 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

hardly  noticing  the  little  man,  whose  sharp 
gaze  turned  on  him. 

Ogilvie  looked  around  with  a  jump.  "  Be 
kind  enough  to  let  me  alone,"  he  said,  with 
emphasis,  and  Lindsay,  after  one  shock  of 
astonishment,  turned  and  left  him. 

Mr.  Bibbe's  fishy  eyes  gleamed  with 
curiosity.  "Beg  pardon,"  said  Ogilvie, 
shortly.  "A  fellow  who  has  been  annoy- 
ing me  for  a  week.  An  American,  and 
an  impostor,  I  believe."  He  gazed  off 
searchingly  at  the  sparkling  blue  of  the 
afternoon  ocean,  vivid  and  theatrical,  be- 
yond the  tops  of  dark  cedar-trees.  "No," 
he  said,  regretfully.  "  No,  I  don't  see  Gen- 
eral Lindsay  anywhere  just  now." 

Then  the  vigorous  planning  of  a  general 
on  the  field  of  battle  set  to  work  in  his  brain. 
"I  can't  stand  by  and  nurse  this  rat  all  the 
afternoon,"  he  meditated.  Mrs.  Clinton  is 
the  alternate,  but  she's  three  rows  deep  in 
118 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

captains  and  subalterns — can't  get  at  her. 
There's  Hotchkiss — good,  useful  man — I'll 
put  him  in  charge." 

He  glanced  down  at  the  ferret  face  of 
Mr.  Bibbe,  turning  this  way  and  that,  seek- 
ing what  he  might  investigate.  "  Stop  here 
for  a  bit,  will  you?"  he  said.  "  I've  a  friend 
I'd  like  you  to  meet,"  and  with  a  long  step 
he  had  buttonholed  the  capitalist.  "Do 
me  a  favor,  will  you,  Hotchkiss?  Queer 
little  character  over  there."  Ogilvie  tapped 
his  forehead.  "  Needs  an  eye  on  him.  Will 
you  watch  him  for  a  while?  Has  some 
mad  idea  about  the  Governor.  Not  dan- 
gerous, don't  you  know,  but  might  make  a 
disturbance.  Just  humor  him  a  bit  and 
don't  let  him  get  at  the  General." 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 


VII 

EG  pardon,  what  did  I  under- 
stand your  name  to  be?"  in- 
quired Mr.  Bibbe,  suspicious- 
ly, when  Ogilvie  had  left  him 
in  the  hands  of  his  keeper. 
"  Seems  like  you  didn't  understand  it  to 
be  much  of  anything,"  Hotchkiss  respond- 
ed, genially,  "but  with  full  trimmin's  it's 
Joshuay  Hotchkiss,  of  Oshkosh.  Don't  try 
it  if  you  ain't  perfectly  sober." 

"  I  am  always  sober,"  snapped  Mr.  Bibbe, 
haughtily. 

"Good  boy,"  and  Hotchkiss  gave  him  a 
staggering  slap  on  the  shoulder.     "It's  a 
great   thing,   and  don't  you  forget   it.     I 
didn't  catch  your  name,  by  the  way." 
120 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

Mr.  Bibbe  controlled  his  nerves,  because 
he  enjoyed  talking  about  this.  He  cleared 
his  throat.  "My  name,"  he  began,  and 
tasted  the  words  as  they  came,  "is  a  some- 
what striking  one.  It  has  been  in  our  family, 
we  have  reason  to  believe,  since  the  Roman 
occupation.  It  is,"  and  he  very  nearly 
smiled  with  satisfaction,  "Titus  Pomponius 
Atticus  Bibbe." 

Hotchkiss,  who  with  all  the  sterling  vir- 
tues was  not  a  Vere  de  Vere,  burst  into  a 
roar  of  laughter,  and  Mr.  Bibbe  turned 
scarlet. 

"Sir,"  he  sputtered,  trembling  with  rage 
-"sir,  are  you  aware  that  you  are  most 
insulting?" 

Hotchkiss  sobered  instantly.  "  No?  Am 
I?"  he  asked,  in  dismay.  "I'm  sorry  for 
that — I  am  so.  Wouldn't  insult  you  for 
the  world,  Mr.  Bibbe.  That  name,"  and 
his  cheeks  quivered  with  laughter  again, 
121 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

"it  sorter  fell  off  the  Capitol  at  Washington 
onto  a  wood-pile,  seemed  to  me.  Struck 
me  wrong,  you  see.  But  nobody  is  re- 
sponsible for  their  names,  and  yours  and 
mine  are  a  queer  pair — now,  ain't  they? 
Shake  hands,  man,  I'm  sorry." 

Mr.  Bibbe  was  partly  mollified.  The 
overflowing  human  kindness  of  Hotchkiss 
took  the  edge  for  the  moment  off  even  his 
acidity.  "I  am  aware  that  my  name  is 
unusual,"  he  said,  stiffly  but  calmly,  "and 
you  are  probably  unacquainted  with  the 
English  type.  You  are  American,  are  you 
not?" 

Hotchkiss  winked  amiably.  "You're  a 
keen  one.  How  did  you  guess  that?  It's 
what  I  am,  sure — all  wool  and  a  yard  wide. 
This  is  a  great  day  for  Americans,"  he  con- 
tinued, with  a  friendly  desire  to  put  the 
conversation  on  a  complimentary  basis. 
"It  ain't  often  the  Governor  of  an  English 
122 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

colony's  as  broad-minded  as  this  one.  Nicest 
thing  a  man  could  have  done,  to  celebrate 
our  Washington's  birthday  in  a  British  col- 
ony. Shows  how  pleasantly  you  English 
can  take  a  whippin'." 

Mr.  Bibbe  felt  that  never  in  his  life  had 
he  been  rasped  and  raked  so  many  times  in 
swift  succession,  and  yet  the  man  had  a 
fascination  for  him;  he  could  not  make  up 
his  mind  to  leave  him  in  dignified  silence; 
he  must  answer  back. 

"  I  don't  at  all  approve  of  to-day's  affair." 
His  head  nodded  with  vicious  eagerness,  and 
his  words  hurried  over  one  another.  ' '  I  con- 
sider it  unpatriotic  and  most  uncalled  for 
and  undignified  in  General  Lindsay." 

Mr.  Hotchkiss,  whom  the  new  Governor 
had  stirred  to  a  whole-souled  loyalty,  lost 
his  beaming  expression,  and  put  his  hands 
in  his  trousers  pockets.  "Mr.  Bibbe,"  he 
said,  impressively,  "you're  the  first  man  on 
123 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

this  island  that  has  said  an  unkind  word 
of  the  Governor.  Every  livin'  soul,  so  far, 
has  wished  him  well  and  spoke  him  well. 
It  don't  seem  possible  that  you  can  know 
the  man  and  yet  miscall  him  like  that.  I 
guess  you  can't  know  him  much,  anyway." 
Mr.  Bibbe  flew  to  arms  again.  "In  that 
point,"  he  said,  "you  are  correct.  It  is 
most  extraordinary,  most  ridiculous  and 
irritating,  that  I,  of  all  men  on  this  island, 
have  not  met  him.  I  believe  that  I  am  the 
only  man  here  who  is  an  old  acquaintance 
of  his,  and  yet  it  seems  to  be  impossible  to 
see  him.  I  came  here  with  no  other  pur- 
pose, and  I  have  been  detained,  talking 
about  nothing,  first  by  that  young  man 
Ogilvie,  who  should  have  presented  me  at 
once,  and  then" — he  glanced  at  the  Amer- 
ican's cordial  face,  and  decency  kept  him 
from  finishing  the  sentence.  "  Where  is  the 
Governor  ?  I  must  go  at  once  and  find  him. ' ' 
124 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

Hotchkiss  suddenly  remembered  his  in- 
structions. "There  now,  there  now,"  he 
said,  soothingly,  and  patted  Mr.  Bibbe's 
arm  with  a  rocking-chair  motion.  Mr. 
Bibbe  drew  himself  up  sharply  to  his  five 
feet  four,  and  shook  off  the  expanse  of  hand 
as  if  it  had  been  a  snake. 

"  Most  extraordinary  behavior!"  he  spurt- 
ed out,  in  staccato.  "  Please  keep  your 
hands  off  me,  sir." 

At  that  moment  the  stately  Simmons  hur- 
ried past,  and  Mr.  Bibbe,  turning  his  back 
sharply  to  Hotchkiss,  the  slow-moving,  de- 
manded, "  My  man,  where  is  the  Governor?" 

Lindsay  had  been  out  of  sight,  but  fate, 
like  a  mischievous  child,  brought  him  at  the 
moment  strolling  into  view,  his  great  white 
sling  making  him  easy  to  see  at  once.  Sim- 
mons pointed  out  his  master.  "His  Ex- 
cellency is  there,  sir — with  the  sling."  Bibbe 
turned  to  Hotchkiss  with  a  gasp. 
125 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

"That  man?  It  must  be  a  mistake.  I 
have  twice  been  told  that  the  man  there, 
with  the  injured  arm,  is  an  American — an 
adventurer  or  impostor,  Mr.  Ogilvie  stated." 

Hotchkiss  was  a  bit  worried  by  the  ex- 
citable methods  of  his  charge,  but  it  did 
not  occur  to  him  that  the  Governor's  iden- 
tity was  to  be  concealed.  "  That's  the  Gen- 
eral, all  right,"  he  said,  cheerfully.  "  But  I 
guess  he's  pretty  busy  right  now ;  I  wouldn't 
bother  him  yet  awhile."  And  then,  in  a 
crooning  voice,  "  Let's  you  and  me  go  and 
look  at  the  pretty  flowers  over  there.  Come 
on  with  Joshuay  Hotchkiss." 

The  peppery  Englishman  cast  a  glance  of 
concentrated  scorn  upon  him  such  as  Hotch- 
kiss had  never  seen  before,  and  without  a 
word  started  towards  Lindsay.  But  Hotch- 
kiss had  undertaken  a  duty  and  he  meant 
to  see  it  through. 

"No,  you  don't,"  he  said,  firmly,  and 
126 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

caught  Mr.  Bibbe  in  a  vigorous  grasp.  "  You 
ain't  goin'  to  worry  the  Governor  this  after- 
noon— not  if  I  know  it." 

Mr.  Bibbe's  astonishment  and  fury  were 
at  the  point  of  white  heat,  where  words 
cannot  reach.  With  a  snarl  he  turned  to 
free  himself,  and  in  a  moment  Hotchkiss 
was  holding  him,  kicking  and  squealing,  and 
every  one  within  hearing  had  turned  and 
was  staring  in  astonishment.  Lindsay,  with 
a  quiet  word  right  and  left,  came  across 
quickly  to  the  combatants,  and  at  a  look 
from  him  the  small  man  was  free,  and 
stood  panting  and  shaking,  with  his  eyes 
fixed  on  the  Governor's  face.  He  was  be- 
yond himself  with  excitement,  and  that  he 
was  making  a  scene  was  nothing  to  him. 
He  shook  his  finger,  tremblingly,  in  Lind- 
say's face. 

"  Who  are  you?"  he  demanded,  and  Lind- 
say's tones  came  like  a  ripple  of  cool  water. 
127 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

"They  call  me  the  Governor,"  he  said, 
quietly.  Mr.  Bibbe  choked  and  sputtered 
before  he  could  find  words. 

"  How  dare  you?"  be  began.  "  My  sister 
told  me — I  couldn't  believe  it  possible — 
most  unheard-of  villany — I  shall  expose 
you — how  do  you  dare?"  A  consecutive 
sentence  at  last  found  its  way:  "I  know 
General  Lindsay  well,  and  you  are  not 
General  Lindsay,"  said  Mr.  Bibbe,  and  his 
squeaking  voice  was  so  breathless  that  only 
the  two  or  three  nearest  persons  could  hear 
him. 

Lindsay  felt,  rather  than  saw,  a  tall 
figure  loom  at  his  side,  and  turned  to  his 
secretary. 

"Ogilvie,"  he  said,  "this  gentleman  is 
feeling  most  unwell.  Will  you  look  after 
him?" 

"Come  along  with  me,  Mr.  Bibbe,"  said 
Ogilvie.  "Come  along  —  I'll  put  you  in 
128 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

shape  again — too  bad,  too  bad."  So  much 
sympathy  did  the  young  man  throw  into 
his  manner  that  the  harassed  Mr.  Bibbe,  a 
vision  of  glasses  and  golden  fluids  rising 
before  him,  gladly  followed.  They  disap- 
peared together  up  the  steps  and  into  the 
house,  and  the  wave  of  excitement,  which 
had,  after  all,  extended  not  far  beyond  the 
limits  of  the  people  concerned,  died  away. 

It  was  time  that  the  flag  should  be  raised 
on  the  new  flag-staff,  and  a  speech  was  ex- 
pected from  the  Governor  in  honor  of  that 
and  of  to-day's  Anglo-American  festivities. 
The  larger  part  of  the  population  of  Ber- 
muda in  the  winter  months  is  from  the 
States,  and  about  the  stand  which  had  been 
put  up  on  the  terrace  and  draped  with  Eng- 
lish and  American  flags  was  gathered  a 
pleased  and  expectant  multitude  to  hear 
the  promised  speech  of  this  most  popular 
Governor.  Lindsay,  whose  sensitive  make- 
9  129 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

up  was  to-day  going  through  a  mood  of 
depression,  felt  as  if  heavy  artillery  could 
not  drag  his  thoughts  from  Evelyn  Minor 
and  fix  them  on  a  speech.  It  made  him 
physically  ill  to  think  of  the  light  touch  and 
quick  wit  and  graciousness  which  were  ex- 
pected to  flow  from  him  in  a  flood.  More- 
over, he  was  nervous  from  the  late  en- 
counter. 

"One  thing  is  sure.  I'll  not  begin  until 
I  know  what  Ogilvie  has  done  with  that 
fire-cracker,"  he  said  to  himself,  and  de- 
layed the  arrangements  with  a  serene  smile 
till  the  secretary's  lean  figure  dashed  across 
the  lawn  towards  where  he  stood. 

"Well?"  Lindsay  demanded,  his  eye- 
brows together. 

The  light  of  adventure  danced  in  Teddy 
Ogilvie's  small,  gray  eyes.   "  Right,"  he  said, 
with  a  snap.     "  Safe  for  the  present.   Lock- 
ed up  in  my  bath-room.     Told  Simmons  a 
130 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

lurid  tale,  and  left  him  on  guard  duty. 
Isn't  it  about  time  for  the  speech?  I'll 
see  if  they're  ready  with  the  flag."  Right- 
about he  went  down  the  slope,  where  the 
new  flag-staff  rose  high  and  bare  against  the 
sky. 

"We're  awaiting  your  speech  with  keen 
interest,  General,"  said  the  Admiral's  pleas- 
ant voice.  "It's  considered,  don't  you 
know,  that  you're  the  only  man  who  can 
play  'God  Save  the  Queen'  and  'Yankee 
Doodle'  together,  and  make  music,  and 
we're  anxious  to  hear  you." 

Lindsay  shivered  inwardly,  but  he  smiled 
with  appealing  deprecation.  "You  must 
be  gentle  with  me,  Sir  Francis,"  he  said. 
"I'm  afraid  I  shall  bungle  it  very  badly. 
But  you  people  have  been  so  generous  to  my 
shortcomings  that  it  gives  me  a  little  more 
confidence.  I'll  try  my  best  to  make  it  a 
go,  anyway,"  he  said,  brightly,  and  the 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

Admiral  felt  something  like  a  glow  of 
fatherly  pride  in  the  happy  ingenuousness 
of  this  charming  young  Governor. 

Teddy  Ogilvie,  the  omnipresent,  was  back 
again.  "Mrs.  Clinton  says  she's  quite 
ready,"  he  announced. 

"Mrs.  Clinton?"  the  Governor  demand- 
ed, surprised. 

"She's  to  break  out  the  colors.  Asked 
to  do  it,  don't  you  know,  and  I  thought  it 
suitable.  Ours  and  the  American  are  to 
be  run  up  together." 

Lindsay  looked  at  him  a  moment  in 
doubt.  He  disapproved  this  sudden  ar- 
rangement in  the  programme,  but,  after  all, 
what  difference  did  it  make?  The  world 
was  to  come  to  an  end  in  three  hours. 
Annette  might  be  a  trifle  conspicuous,  but, 
if  she  wanted  to  pull  strings,  she  could  do  no 
harm.  Suddenly,  with  a  rush,  his  courage 
flowed  back,  and  the  joy  and  power  of 
132 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

doing  his  best  caught  him.  These  kind 
faces  which  met  him  so  smilingly  should 
have  his  best  efforts ;  the  people  should  re- 
member this,  his  last  afternoon.  He  turned 
and  with  a  swift  step  went  lightly  up  and 
stood  on  the  elevated  platform  in  view  of 
the  hundreds  of  people  who  waited  for  him, 
his  face  bright  with  pleasure,  his  head  erect, 
a  lock  of  bronze  hair  blowing  boyishly  across 
his  forehead  in  the  light  breeze — a  gallant 
and  winning  picture. 

For  a  second  there  was  a  deep  stillness, 
and  then  suddenly  in  an  irresistible  out- 
burst the  crowd  had  gone  wild.  Men,  wom- 
en, and  children  were  clapping  and  shout- 
ing and  stamping  like  mad.  It  was  some 
minutes  before  the  smiling  Governor  could 
calm  them,  and  then,  thanking  them  with 
a  look  and  a  word,  he  turned  his  face  tow- 
ards the  empty  flag-staff. 

"Break  out  the  colors!"  he  ordered,  and 
133 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

the  ring  of  his  voice  carried  everywhere. 
Every  one  felt  a  thrill  of  patriotism,  of  ex- 
citement, and  all  eyes  lifted  to  where  two 
long  rolls  of  cloth  were  flying  up  the  bare 
pole.  One  was  three  feet  above  the  other, 
but  it  struck  no  one  as  important  until,  as 
they  halted,  the  wind  caught  the  loose  ends 
and  shook  to  the  air  the  two  flags,  American 
and  British,  the  British  below.  It  took  a 
breath  of  time  for  the  significance  of  the 
incident  to  penetrate,  and  then  broke  loose 
a  whirlwind  of  shouts  and  laughter  and 
cries. 

"Down!  down!"  cried  the  good  English- 
men, and,  "Hurrah!  hurray!"  a  certain  ele- 
ment of  Americans  and  others  called  excit- 
edly. "Take  it  down!  Shame!  Shame!" 
and  there  were  many  who  simply  roared 
with  laughter,  and  some  who  demanded, 
loudly,  "Send  up  the  other!" 

Lindsay,  standing  helplessly  on  his  ros- 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

trum  and  staring  at  the  flapping  colors, 
recognized  instantly  the  work  of  Mrs.  Clin- 
ton. With  an  inward  threat  of  vengeance, 
he  caught  the  first  possible  moment  and 
held  up  his  hand  for  silence,  and  little  by 
little  the  stir  quieted,  and  they  looked  at 
him,  every  man  and  woman  and  child,  with 
affectionate  respect,  and  waited  for  his  word. 
It  came  across  the  ceasing  of  the  perturbed 
voices,  clear  and  steady. 

"We  all  like  to  have  those  flags  side  by 
side,"  he  said,  "but  the  Governor  of  Ber- 
muda cannot  see  the  English  flag  below  any 
other."  He  lifted  his  hand  sharply,  and  his 
voice  was  like  a  trumpet:  "Put  the  flags 
side  by  side!" 

In  thirty  seconds  more  the  episode  was 
closed,  and  an  agitated  but  good-natured 
multitude  waited  and  listened  again.  Sud- 
denly out  of  the  stillness  piped  a  high  little 
voice  a  few  feet  below  the  platform. 

135 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

"Mother,  is  that  the  nice  Governor?"  it 
said,  with  slow  distinctness,  and  the  whole 
excited  audience  rippled  with  pleased 
laughter. 

Lindsay,  laughing  too,  looked  down  at  a 
strapping  little  white-clad  chap  of  a  hand- 
ful of  years,  standing  on  a  bench  by  his 
blushing  English  mother. 

"  Let  me  have  that  baby,"  he  said,  quick- 
ly, and  bent  down  and  lifted  the  boy;  and 
as  he  stood  him  up,  shy  and  solemn,  on  the 
chair  by  his  side,  the  people  laughed  again, 
and  clapped  him  scatteringly. 

Lindsay  bent  to  the  rosy  face. 

"  How  old  are  you,  my  son?" 

"Four  and  a  harf  old,"  came  the  reedy 
little  voice. 

"Four  and  a  harf  old,"  the  Governor  re- 
peated. "It's  young  to  appear  in  public, 
but  I  want  you  to  help  me  make  my  speech 
to-day,  because  I  think  so  much  of  Ber- 
136 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

muda  and  Bermudans  that  I'm  afraid  I 
can't  do  it  well  enough  alone."  He  put  his 
arm  about  the  youngster  and  went  on, 
standing  so.  "I  have  been  on  the  islands 
a  week,"  he  said,  "and  I  have  already  so 
much  to  thank  you  for  that  I  don't  know 
how  to  do  it.  If  this  administration  were 
to  end  to-night,  I  could  say  truly  that  never 
before  have  I  enjoyed  a  governorship  as  I 
have  enjoyed  this.  I'm  afraid  that  I  can't 
show  you  in  deeds  the  appreciation  I  feel 
for  the  kindness  that  has  met  me  every- 
where, but  I  want  you  to  know  that  I  feel 
it  very  deeply,  and  that  I  shall  never  forget 
it.  When  this  chap  here,"  he  flashed  a 
smile  at  the  little  fellow  in  his  arm,  "shall 
be  twenty-one,  my  memory  will  have  faded 
long  ago  from  this  beautiful  Bermuda,  but 
if  ever  any  one  of  you,  my  friends  of  to- 
day, should  think  of  me,  I  hope  it  will  be, 
even  then,  with  kindness.  The  two  flags 
137 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

floating  up  there,"  and  he  turned  his  face 
to  the  high  top  of  the  staff,  "gave  me  a 
thought  a  moment  ago.  I  wondered  if  per- 
haps some  day,  when  this  friend  of  mine," 
and  again  he  glanced  at  the  boy,  "  is  a  man, 
one  flag  may  not  perhaps  do  for  the  two 
countries  which  they  represent." 

A  startled  rustle  went  through  the  crowd 
of  listeners,  and  the  boy  moved  uneasily 
against  Lindsay's  arm.  Lindsay  bent  and 
spoke  to  him.  ' '  Restless,  my  lad  ?  Go  back 
to  your  mother,  then,  and  thank  you  for 
helping  me.  Let  me  shake  your  manly 
hand,"  and  the  little  fist  slipped  into  his 
grasp.  "May  you  climb  high,"  Lindsay 
said,  impressively,  "and  when  you  are  at 
the  top  may  you  see  one  flag  waving  over 
Bermuda  and  America." 

There  was  another  surprised  stir  in  the 
audience,  and  the  Governor  gave  the  child 
back  to  hands  reached  out  to  receive  him. 
138 


'THE  BOY  MOVED  UNEASILY  AGAINST  LINDSAY'S  ARM' 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

He  looked  down  among  them  with  a  frank 
and  friendly  smile.  "I  don't  mean  that 
Bermuda  should  be  annexed  to  the  United 
States.  Not  at  all.  What  I  propose  is  that 
we  Bermudans  should  finish  the  good  work 
we  have  begun  and  take  the  United  States 
under  our  wing." 

Instantly  the  laughter  broke  out  again. 

"  From  what  I  hear,"  the  easy  tones  went 
on,  "we  have  the  best  part  of  the  land  of 
the  free  down  here  every  winter — the  cream 
of  the  country.  And  so  it  seemed  to  me 
fitting  that  we  cousins,  English  and  Amer- 
ican, should  join  to-day — that  the  Amer- 
icans should  help  to  honor  a  great  man  born 
an  Englishman,  that  the  Bermudans  should 
help  to  honor  a  hero  of  America."  He 
threw  back  his  head  again  with  a  dramatic 
movement  and  stared  at  the  floating  bunt- 
ing. "I  want  the  best  cheer  out  of  you 
people  that  you  have  ever  given  in  your 


A    KIDNAP  P.ED     COLONY 

lives,"  he  said — "I  want  you  to  cheer  the 
colors  up  there.  Not  one  flag  or  the  other, 
but  the  colors  that  shine  in  both.  The 
same  red  is  there — it  stands  for  our  Saxon 
blood ;  the  blue  is  the  same  for  the  skies  that 
are  our  roof  and  that  arch  right  around  the 
world;  and  the  white  is  in  both  for  the 
honor  that  we  both  keep  clean,  English  and 
American  together,  our  heritage  and  our 
charge  —  yesterday,  to-day,  and  forever. 
Now  children,  men,  and  women,  forget 
everything  but  those  colors,  and  give  us  the 
best  cheer  of  your  lives — Hurrah ! — Hurrah 
for  George  Washington  and  the  red,  white, 
and  blue!" 

And  the  air  of  the  fragrant  afternoon,  the 
tops  of  the  still,  dark  cedars,  trembled  with 
the  ring  and  the  swing  of  the  shout  of 
willing  voices  which  rushed  to  join  one  an- 
other, swayed  and  lifted  by  the  inspiration 
of  the  Governor  of  Bermuda. 
140 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 


VIII 

HE  Governor  of  Bermuda, 
General  John  Buchanan 
Lindsay,  behind  the  best 
livery  horses  to  be  had  in  St. 
George's,  bowled  rapidly  past 
Harrington  Sound,  past  the  Devil's  Hole, 
along  the  North  Shore  road,  and,  as  he  went, 
reflected.  There  was  a  most  extraordinary 
situation  of  some  sort  at  Government  House 
in  Hamilton,  and  what  it  was  he  was  burn- 
ing with  eagerness  to  discover.  Filled  with 
indignation  an'd  with  curiosity,  his  soul 
within  him  was  strong  to  deal  with  an  im- 
postor, an  adventurer,  an  unknown  scoun- 
drel who  was  at  this  moment  sitting  in  his 
seat.  The  horses'  heads  were  set  west 
141 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

against  the  low  line  of  Ireland  Island  and 
the  cloudy  pinnacles  and  towers  of  a  jew- 
elled sunset.  Far  out  at  the  edge  of  the 
sea  the  shifting  reef  line  tied  ocean  to  sky 
with  a  seam  of  opal  light.  On  his  left  he 
passed  house  after  house  of  white  coral,  set 
in  black  cedar  clumps,  frescoed  by  tossing 
palm-trees,  and  in  the  softening  daylight 
they  were  marble  palaces,  or  old  Greek  tem- 
ples gleaming  through  dark  foliage. 

Even  in  his  disturbance  the  eyes  of  the 
new  ruler,  eyes  clear  and  searching,  but 
without  guile,  noted  the  appealing  loveliness 
of  his  reef -girdled  kingdom.  But  his  mind 
was  ill  at  ease.  Impatient  with  the  long 
drive  of  fourteen  miles,  he  went  over  and 
over  the  data  in  his  possession.  The  news- 
paper notice  of  the  arrival  of  the  Bellero- 
phon  in  New  York;  his  interview  with  the 
captain,  and  the  puzzle  of  the  extraordina- 
ry sealed  orders  which  had  been  opened  in 
142 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

New  York  Bay;  Captain  Starwood's  story 
of  a  governor  already  in  Bermuda,  and 
his  own  difficulty  of  convincing  the  officer 
of  his  rights;  the  quickly  decided  voyage 
down ;  the  remarkable  report  of  yellow-fever, 
with  strange  embellishments  concerning  an 
ex-Viceroy  of  India,  brought  by  an  excited 
Irishman  coming  ostensibly  from  Teddy 
Ogilvie ;  finally,  his  resolution  to  go  at  once 
and  see  for  himself  the  meaning  of  this  ar- 
ray of  circumstances.  He  had  acted  upon 
this  promptly,  without  waiting  for  escort, 
and  seven  o'clock  now  found  him  rolling  as 
rapidly  as  might  be,  thirsting  for  knowl- 
edge, primed  for  action,  towards  the  seat 
of  war.  There  were  few  vehicles  on  the 
long  stretch  of  the  North  Shore  road,  but 
far  away  on  its  length  against  the  orange- 
and-yellow  sunset  there  was  a  black  speck. 
General  Lindsay,  moodily  impatient,  found 
himself  watching  it  grow  from  a  dark  point 
143 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

to  a  moving  spot,  and  then  resolve  itself 
into  a  man  on  horseback. 

The  rider  was  coming  fast,  was  within  a 
hundred  yards,  and  suddenly  he  had  pulled 
in  vigorously,  and  was  walking  his  panting 
mount  towards  them.  They  were  abreast, 
the  Governor  staring,  and  the  carriage  had 
halted,  and  the  horseman  had  his  hat  in  his 
hand. 

"This  is  General  Lindsay — the  Govern- 
or?" he  was  asking,  and  there  was  some- 
thing familiar  about  the  voice  and  the  man. 
Both  were  attractive,  and  the  Governor  an- 
swered pleasantly  in  spite  of  his  preoccupa- 
tion. 

"  Perhaps  you  won't  remember  me,  Gen- 
eral," the  horseman  went  on,  with  a  winning 
modesty  of  manner,  "but  I  hope  that  you 
may.  My  name  is  Lindsay.  I  had  the 
pleasure  of  a  hunting -trip  with  you  five 
years  ago  in  the  West  —  Governor  Rock- 
144 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

feldt's  party.  You  made  the  record  for 
prairie-chicken — we  got  a  bear  together — 
you  killed — 

But  the  Governor  interrupted  him.  He 
was  delighted.  Of  course,  he  remembered 
Lindsay,  one  of  the  best  fellows  he  had  ever 
known,  the  man  who  had —  His  cordial 
hand  reached  from  the  carriage  to  grasp 
the  other's  with  a  warm  grip. 

"Glad  to  see  you — glad  to  see  you,"  he 
repeated,  heartily.  "Why,  man,  you  don't 
suppose  I  could  forget  you  after  you  pulled 
me  out  of  that  damned  cold  river?  By  no 
means.  You're  the  last  man  I  expected  to 
see,  and  I  didn't  know  you  for  a  moment. 
But  one  doesn't  forget  a  chap  who  has  saved 
his  life,  don't  you  know.  What  the  devil 
are  you  doing  in  Bermuda?" 

That  question  was  an  awkward  one  to 
answer  off-hand.  Lindsay  was  silent  for  a 
moment.  "I'm  riding  out  to  meet  you  on 
145 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

purpose  to  tell  you  that,"  he  answered,  so 
gravely  that  the  Governor  stared.  Then 
the  thought  of  the  mystery  of  Mount  Lang- 
ton,  towards  which  he  was  hurrying,  came 
to  his  mind.  This  intelligent,  efficient  Amer- 
ican would  be  the  very  man  to  know  all 
about  it ;  the  meeting  was  a  godsend  to  his 
impatience. 

"Can't  you  get  rid  of  your  animal  and 
drive  back  with  me?"  he  asked;  and  Lind- 
say, who  seldom  lacked  means  to  a  desired 
end,  and  to  whom  all  men  were  friends,  had 
found  a  stable  and  left  the  horse  in  willing 
hands  in  so  short  a  time  that  the  Governor's 
nerves  hardly  felt  the  strain  of  waiting. 

The  lonely  and  harassed  chief  executive 
felt  companionship  and  confidence  and  sup- 
port as  the  carriage  started  on  again  with 
his  old  acquaintance  by  his  side.  Here  was 
a  man  of  so  keen  and  alert  a  mind  that  his 
account  of  events  must  be  full  and  accurate, 
146 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

whom  he  knew  to  be  trustworthy  and  re- 
liable, and  who,  being  an  American,  could 
have  no  personal  interest  in  Bermuda  af- 
fairs. It  was  balm  to  his  troubled  mind 
that  he  should  have  this  friend  in  whom 
he  could  trust.  He  smiled  cordially  at  him 
again. 

"  I  consider  myself  lucky  to  have  met  you, 
Lindsay,"  he  said.  "I've  been  delayed  in 
getting  here,  and  I'm  most  disturbed  by 
extraordinary  rumors  I've  been  hearing. 
What's  this  about  a  sham  governor  in  pow- 
er in  the  islands?  Tell  me  all  you  know 
about  it,  will  you?" 

Lindsay  turned  his  head  and  looked  the 
Governor  impressively  in  the  face  with  a 
wide  gaze. 

"That  is  exactly  what  I  mean  to  do, 

General  Lindsay,"   he  said,   slowly.     "My 

account  is  going  to  surprise  you  extremely, 

and  I'm  afraid  it  will  lose  me  your  friend- 

147 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

ship.     But  I  can  do  nothing  else  and  ever 
hold  up  my  head  again." 

The  Governor  was  staring  as  if  he  thought 
his  friend  mad. 

Lindsay's  quiet  tones  went  on.  "It  is 
perfectly  true  that  an  impostor  has  been 
holding  your  office,  unsuspected,  for  a  week 
past,  and  it  is  most  difficult  and  painful  for 
me  to  tell  you  that  the  person  —  the  im- 
postor— is  myself." 

The  Governor  of  Bermuda  felt  first  a  sen- 
sation of  fright — it  is  unpleasant  to  have  a 
lunatic  on  one's  hands — and  then  he  was 
mildly  indignant.  Lindsay  showed  poor 
taste  to  joke  about  this  affair. 

"I'd  be  obliged  if  you  would  be  quite 
serious,"  he  said,  rather  shortly. 

"  I  am  serious,"  Lindsay  answered,  grave- 
ly, and  then,  with  no  extra  words,  with  few 
explanations  and  no  excuses,  he  told  the 
story  as  it  had  happened. 
148 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

It  took  only  a  few  minutes ;  the  gorgeous 
yellows  in  the  West  were  a  bit  duller,  the 
flashing  green  and  silver  of  the  reef  was  a 
touch  more  solid  in  its  play,  yet  there  were 
miles  between  them  and  Mount  Langton 
when  Lindsay's  story  stopped.  The  real 
Governor  and  the  sham  Governor  bowled 
along  side  by  side  in  the  carriage  for  a  long 
minute  in  entire  silence.  At  length  the 
former  spoke  in  a  grave  and  dignified  voice. 

"  You  have  put  me  in  a  most  trying  posi- 
tion, Lindsay,"  he  said.  Lindsay  started 
as  if  stung. 

"If  regrets  counted,  Governor!"  he  an- 
swered, quickly.  "That  is  the  one  thing  I 
didn't  think  about  until  now.  I  canvassed 
all  possible  consequences  to  myself,  and  am 
willing  to  face  them.  But  it  didn't  strike 
me  that  you  would  have  any  part  to  play 
but  the  conquering  hero,  when  your  hour 
came.  I  see  now  that  I  am  guilty  towards 
149 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

you  in  every  way.  I  can't  hope  or  ask  for 
forgiveness,  but  I  can  at  least  simplify  mat- 
ters a  bit.  To  make  a  burnt  offering  of  me 
wholesale  is  the  only  way.  Make  the  whole 
thing  public  at  once — your  part  has  been 
entirely  dignified — there  is  no  reason  why 
you  should  not.  Your  administration  will 
begin  with  eclat  for  your  prompt  vigor 
in  getting  here  and  exposing  the  impos- 
tor." 

So  earnestly  did  he  plan  his  own  down- 
fall that  the  Governor  suddenly  laughed. 
As  always,  the  sincerity  and  charm  of  the 
man's  character  were  winning  against  every 
odd.  General  Lindsay  put  his  hand  on  the 
broad  shoulder  turned  towards  him. 

"Lindsay,  you're  the  devil  of  a  fellow," 
he  said.  "I  can't  help  liking  you  in  spite 
of  your  rascality. ' '  His  face  became  serious 
and  he  went  on  with  the  weighty  manner  of 
a  Governor.  "  But  you  are  wrong — I  am 
150 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

quite  sure  you  are  wrong — about  taking  any 
definite  steps  towards  exposing  the  affair. 
There  is  bound  to  be  a  certain  publicity,  and 
people  will  talk  until  they  get  things  cleared, 
or  at  least  setted  to  their  satisfaction.  But 
there  is  no  reason  that  I  should  take  any 
notice  whatever  of  late  events ;  it  would  be 
most  awkward  to  do  so ;  it  is  more  dignified 
that  I  should  not.  If  I  could  have  you 
prosecuted  and  punished" — he  smiled  grim- 
ly at  the  attentive  Lindsay — "it  would  be 
my  duty,  doubtless,  to  do  it.  But  there  is 
no  precedent  for  burglary  on  so  large  a  scale, 
and  consequently  no  law.  I  think  nothing 
whatever  can  be  done  to  you.  We  will 
guard  our  colonies  against  kidnapping  in  the 
future,  however."  The  Governor's  strong 
and  genial  face  broke  into  a  smile.  "To 
tell  the  truth,  it  is  such  a  joke  on  the  British 
lion  as  has  never  before  been  perpetrated, 
and  I  think  the  only  thing  to  do  is  to  hush 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

it  up.     They  would  laugh  at  us  around  the 
world,  if  it  got  out." 

Teddy  Ogilvie,  dancing  in  an  agony  of  an- 
ticipation, heard  sounds  on  the  driveway  at 
Mount  Langton,  and  rushed  out,  dreading 
everything,  prepared  for  anything— rexcept, 
perhaps,  what  he  saw.  From  the  open  door- 
ways of  the  great  house  streamed  a  flood 
of  lamplight,  and  as  the  wheels  stopped  it 
illuminated  the  tired  but  smiling  faces  of 
the  Governor  of  Bermuda  and  his  supplanter 
seated  side  by  side  in  an  open  carriage. 

"How  do  you  do,  Teddy?"  remarked  his 
uncle,  calmly,  and  the  astounded  secretary 
gasped  for  answer.  My  friend  Mr.  Lind- 
say tells  me  you  have  been  of  some  assist- 
ance to  him,"  the  Governor  continued, 
pleasantly.  "  That's  right.  Glad  you're  im- 
proving. Always  make  yourself  useful,  my 
boy.  I  shall  try  to  make  you  so,"  and 
Ogilvie  shivered  in  the  cool  night  air. 
152 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

An  hour  later,  when  the  Governor,  to  the 
bewilderment  of  the  servants,  had  taken 
his  place  for  the  first  time  at  the  head  of  his 
own  table,  with  Mr.  Lindsay  and  his  nephew 
as  his  guests ;  when  a  few  necessary  expla- 
nations and  arrangements  had  been  made, 
and  the  after-dinner  cigar  was  preaching  its 
sermon  of  peace  and  good-will  to  the  three, 
Teddy  Ogilvie  suddenly  sprang  to  his  feet, 
knocking  his  chair  over  with  a  crash. 

"Don't  be  volcanic,  my  lad,"  advised  his 
uncle,  composedly.  "What  is  it?" 

"  Little  Bibbe — he's  locked  up  in  my  bath- 
room! I  forgot  all  about  him.  Shouldn't 
have  thought  of  him  now  if  I  hadn't  heard 
him.  Listen." 

Far  away  from  up  and  off  somewhere  in 
the  large  building  there  was  a  faint  bang- 
ing noise,  now  rising  insistently,  now  grow- 
ing faint  and  stopping. 

"He  must  have  got  a  hair-brush,"  said 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

Ogilvie,  reflectively.  "  His  fists  never  could 
have  lasted." 

The  Governor  looked  at  Lindsay,  and  the 
American  told  the  story  in  a  few  words. 

"  I  remember  him  in  Devonshire.  Hypo- 
chondriac; bad  tempered,  inquisitive  little 
beast,"  General  Lindsay  summed  up  the 
prisoner's  character.  "But  it's  a  scan- 
dalous outrage  on  your  part,  Teddy.  You 
ought  to  be  arrested.  Have  him  down  at 
once,  and  I'll  see  what  I  can  do  for  you." 

In  a  few  minutes  the  British  subject,  in 
all  his  insulted  majesty,  was  led  by  the  ag- 
gressor into  the  presence  of  the  representa- 
tive of  Britain.  He  was  dishevelled,  and  at 
first  speechless  with  anger,  and  even  when 
words  came  they  were  largely  inarticulate. 
His  rights  certainly  had  been  trampled 
upon,  and  Lindsay's  kind  heart  was  full  of 
sympathy  for  the  raging  little  man. 

"Sit  here,  Mr.  Bibbe,"  and  he  pushed  up 
154 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

a  chair;  "and,  Governor,  may  I  get  Mr. 
Bibbe  a  glass  of  wine?" 

The  small  Englishman  turned  on  him, 
shaking  his  fist  in  his  face  with  venom. 

"You!  you!"  he  sputtered.  "How  dare 
you  speak  to  me,  you  impostor,  you  rascal, 
you  low-lived  adventurer?"  And  other 
terms  followed,  not  pretty  to  be  written. 
"General  Lindsay,  do  you  know  who  this 
man  is?"  he  exploded,  turning  to  the  Gov- 
ernor. 

"Yes,"  said  General  Lindsay,  standing 
with  his  cigar  in  his  fingers,  and  watching 
with  British  impassiveness  the  scene  in 
progress. 

But  Mr.  Bibbe  paid  no  attention  to  the 
cool  monosyllable.  "Do  you  know  he  has 
stolen  your  office,  usurped  your  rights,  im- 
posed on  your  people,  bamboozled  this  en- 
tire colony  for  an  entire  week?  He  calls 
himself  the  Governor — do  you  know  that?" 
155 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

And  with  unpleasant,  cackling  laughter  he 
turned  again  towards  Lindsay.  "He — ha! 
How  do  you  feel  about  it  now?  You're 
caught  like  a  rat,  now,  eh  ?  What  do  they 
call  you  now — the  Governor,  eh?"  and  the 
vicious  finger  snapped  almost  in  the  Amer- 
ican's face. 

To  Lindsay's  gentle  mind  it  was  wholly 
pitiful.  He  drew  away  a  step  quietly.  "Mr. 
Bibbe,  try  to  be  calm.  You  have  been 
badly  treated,  and  I  am  sorry,"  he  began, 
but  the  Governor  took  the  word  from  him. 

"Mr.  Bibbe,  kindly  listen  to  me  a  mo- 
ment," he  said,  and  the  force  and  dignity  of 
his  manner  awed  them  all.  "You  are  in  a 
most  disagreeable  position,  and  I  regret  it. 
But  it  is  your  own  fault  for  meddling.  It 
was  and  is  no  business  of  yours  to  run  this 
colony.  I  am  the  Governor  of  Bermuda, 
and  I  intend  to  do  that  myself.  Mr.  Lind- 
say here,  against  whom  you  seem  to  have  a 
156 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

grievance,  is  my  very  good  friend  and  guest. 
Mr.  Ogilvie,  my  nephew,  has  been  unpar- 
donably  rude  to  you  this  afternoon,  and 
he  and  I  both  regret  the  circumstance  ex- 
tremely" -he  glanced  at  Teddy  for  en- 
dorsement, and  the  latter  bowed  gravely — 
"  but  I  am  obliged  to  ask  you,  and  to  ask  it 
urgently,  to  keep  your  own  counsel  about 
to-day's  events.  You  will  find  that  you 
make  a  serious  mistake  if  you  indulge  your- 
self in  talking.  I  think  that  the  Governor 
has  the  right  to  ask  so  much.  Teddy,  will 
you  ring  for  a  carriage  to  take  Mr.  Bibbe 
home?  I'm  afraid  he's  extremely  tired." 

There  was  a  little  more  bubbling  and 
sputtering  from  the  dazed  and  exhausted 
Mr.  Bibbe,  some  glacial  moments,  and  then 
the  would-be  villain  of  the  plot  was  bundled, 
worn  out,  silenced,  but  still  vicious,  into  the 
carriage  and  tucked  in  by  the  secretary. 

Ogilvie  came  back  with  smiles  furrowed 
i57 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

deeply  into  his  face.  "Uncle  John,"  he 
said,  and  slapped  the  executive  shoulder 
irreverently  in  his  happiness,  "you're  a 
brick!  You've  got  it  all  ship-shape,  I  hope 
and  pray  and  believe.  My  only  grief  is 
that  you  weren't  with  us  all  through;  but 
I  suppose  that  is  too  much  to  ask.  But 
you  would  have  enjoyed  it — you  would, 
indeed.  There's  nothing  like  it  in  history. 
The  most  roaring  lark  I've  ever  dreamed 
— and  it  went — it  was  a  go.  I  can  hardly 
believe  the  luck.  I  wish  you'd  seen  him," 
and  he  laid  his  hand  on  Lindsay's  shoulder. 
"He  was  great — he  was  a  born  Governor 
— it's  a  howling  shame  you  can't  both  be 
governors.  But,  whatever  happens  now, 
I  shall  have  lived.  To  scoop  the  oldest 
jewel  in  the  British  crown— a  week  of  it — 
a  volcano  at  every  mouthful.  That's  what 
I  call  living.  Uncle  John,  you  would  have 
enjoyed  it." 

158 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

Lindsay  gave  the  Governor  no  chance 
to  respond  to  this  rhapsody.  He  got  up 
suddenly.  "General  Lindsay,"  he  said,  in 
a  matter-of-fact  voice,  "  I  am  sorry  to  say 
good  -  night  so  early.  This  has  been  a 
strenuous  day,  but  I  have  something  be- 
fore me  yet.  I  am  going  to  the  dance  at 
the  Hamilton." 

The  Governor  looked  at  him  silently,  a 
little  surprised,  and  Ogilvie  stared  in  frank 
astonishment.  He  had  heard  nothing  of 
this  move.  Then,  suddenly,  as  Lindsay's 
strapping  figure  swung  out  through  the 
doorway : 

"Oh!"  said  Ogilvie,  reflectively. 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 


IX 

N  elderly  man,  a  man  of  the 
world,  who  had  seen  life,  who 
knew  times  and  manners,  sat 
outside  one  of  the  wide  win- 
dows which  led  from  the  ball- 
room of  the  Hamilton  Hotel  to  the  great 
piazza,  canvas-walled  for  the  dances.  Over 
the  crashed  floor  floated  a  shifting  show  of 
figures;  the  band  from  the  barracks  played 
a  haunting  waltz;  the  spectators  who  filled 
the  windows  and  sat  back  in  the  shadows 
all  around  the  square  piazza  discussed  and 
admired  and  criticised  the  dancers.  Be- 
tween the  numbers  the  whole  array  emptied 
out  into  the  damp,  scented  air  of  the  semi- 
tropical  night.  The  man  from  many  cities 
1 60 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

was  talking  in  a  carefully  gauged  under- 
tone to  the  woman  who  sat  by  him,  as 
youth  and  beauty  poured  in  again  at  the 
first  strains  of  the  orchestra  from  such  an 
intermission. 

"The  most  finished,  the  best  -  groomed, 
the  most  sophisticated  person  on  the  floor 
is,  of  course,  little  Mrs.  Clinton,"  he  gave 
judgment.  "  She  is  bewitching,  fascinating, 
clever — a  French  marquise  of  fifty  and  a 
naughty  child  of  five  rolled  together.  But 
to  my  mind  her  friend,  the  fair  girl  who  is 
always  with  her,  has  more  attraction.  The 
gods  were  good  to  her  as  to  looks,  and  she 
seems  to  be  incarnate  sunshine,  fresh  and 
buoyant  and  sensitive,  most  remarkably  un- 
spoiled for  a  girl  of  her  class — must  have 
been  brought  up  in  a  convent." 

"Miss  Minor,  you  mean.  She  is  coming 
in  now,"  said  the  woman  to  whom  he  spoke. 
"See  —  she  is  always  in  white.  But  she 
"  161 


n 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

doesn't  look  particularly  sunshiny,  to  my 
mind.  I  should  say  she  was  feeling  rather 
unhappy." 

The  man  adjusted  his  eye-glass  carefully 
on  the  bridge  of  his  nose,  and  stared  through 
it  at  Evelyn  Minor.  "The  girl  is  ill,"  he 
said,  decidedly.  "  I've  never  seen  her  with 
that  look.  She  ought  to  go  to  bed.  Ah, 
you  see!"  he  went  on,  gratified  at  his  own 
keenness  as  Evelyn  stopped  Mrs.  Clinton 
in  the  middle  of  the  crowded  room.  ' '  There's 
something  wrong,  you  can  tell  from  Mrs. 
Clinton's  concerned  manner.  Miss  Minor  is 
going.  She  is  ill,  as  I  told  you."  But  be- 
fore the  girl  had  disappeared  down  the  long 
hallway  that  leads  into  the  ballroom,  the 
observer  had  forgotten  her.  "  Why,  there's 
the  Governor!"  he  exclaimed. 

Lindsay's  quiet  figure  was  framed  in  one 
of  the  windows,  and  his  eyes  gazed  about, 
as  if  searching.  He  was  surrounded  in  a 
162 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

moment,  and  it  was  ten  minutes  more  be- 
fore he  could  draw  his  cousin  aside  and 
speak  to  her  alone. 

"Annette,"  he  said,  talking  fast  in  the 
shadowy  safety  of  the  piazza,  corner,  "the 
game  is  played.  The  Governor  is  here — 
at  Mount  Langton.  No,  don't  be  excited. 
There  will  be  no  sensation.  He  has  been 
very  forgiving  and  very  kind — I  couldn't 
have  hoped  for  such  an  ending.  There  is 
to  be  no  denouement,  no  explosion.  But 
it  will  inevitably  get  about  to-morrow — to- 
night— no  one  can  tell  how  soon — as  to  what 
has  happened.  I  want  to  tell  Miss  Minor 
before  she  hears  otherwise.  I  must  see  her. 
Where  is  she?" 

Mrs.  Clinton  controlled  with  creditable 
firmness  her  eagerness  to  know  more. 
"Didn't  you  meet  her?  You  must  just 
have  missed  her.  She  was  still  in  the  hall 
when  I  looked  up  and  saw  you.  She  felt 
163 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

ill  and  couldn't  stand  any  more  of  the 
dance,  and  she  has  gone  to  bed."  To  Lind- 
say it  seemed  that  the  bottom  had  dropped 
out  of  the  world.  He  gazed  at  his  cousin 
as  if  her  words  were  too  bad  to  be  true. 
Then  the  sweetness  and  unselfishness  of  his 
disposition  came  to  the  front. 

"It's  the  best  thing  if  she  feels  ill,"  he 
said.  "Thank  you,  Annette.  I'll  try  to 
find  her  in  the  morning.  Would  she  see 
me  immediately  after  breakfast?" 

One  way  or  another,  by  force  or  by  luck, 
things  always  came  this  man's  way.  Mrs. 
Clinton  was  touched  with  a  motherly  pity 
at  his  childlike  resignation,  and  would  have 
offered  up  Evelyn  in  fragments,  if  neces- 
sary, to  comfort  him. 

"Go  out  under  the  oleanders,  Jack,"  she 
ordered,  "and  keep  the  farthest  seat.  Eve- 
lyn ought  to  see  you,  and  she  shall.  I'll 
have  her  there  in  five  minutes,"  and  with- 
164 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

out  waiting  for  an  answer  she  had  flown, 
flashing  like  a  rainbow  across  the  swinging, 
music-laden  ballroom  and  along  the  hall  to 
the  elevator.  Lindsay,  avoiding  earnestly 
that  fierce  light  which  beats  about  even  a 
stolen  throne,  a  light  which  he  felt  to-night 
most  unbecoming,  found  his  way  out  into 
the  cool  darkness,  and,  lifting  the  bench  by 
the  oleanders,  dragged  it  where  their  sweep- 
ing shadows  were  thickest.  In  the  cathe- 
dral, three  hundred  yards  away,  there  was 
service.  The  roll  of  the  organ  and  the 
voices  of  the  choir  floated  faintly  across  the 
valley  between,  and  the  west  window,  light- 
ed from  within,  lay  against  the  night  like 
a  medallion  of  figured  gold  painted  on  flat 
darkness.  The  air  was  intoxicating  with 
the  scent  of  unseen  roses,  and  as  he  waited 
a  far-away  bugle-call  sounded  from  the  fort. 
Unrealizing,  but  feeling  every  influence, 
Lindsay  waited  and  only  knew  that  he  was 
165 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

lonely  and  wanted  her.  If  he  had  glanced 
up,  beyond  where  the  crimson  -  flowered 
great  Bougainvillea  climbs  over  the  arched 
portico  and  paints  color  boldly  on  the 
white  stone  facade  of  the  hotel,  he  might 
have  seen  Evelyn's  blond  head  blossoming 
from  her  window.  As  she  had  said,  she 
was  wretched,  and  the  music  and  the  gay- 
ety  of  the  ball  were  so  hateful  to  her  that 
she  could  not  stay  down-stairs.  Here  in 
her  quiet  room  she  might,  at  least,  have  the 
luxury  of  giving  up  to  unhappiness.  She 
folded  her  arms,  in  their  wrinkled,  long 
gloves,  on  the  window-sill,  and  put  her  face 
on  them  and  looked  out  where  the  lights 
trembled  on  the  boats  in  the  bay,  and  the 
star-lit  sky  brooded  over  the  dim  hills  of 
Paget  parish  across  the  water.  She  began 
to  talk  aloud  to  herself. 

"It  is  childish  to  deny  it.     I  have  to 
face  it — I  love  him;    Englishman,  married 
166 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

— everything  that  is  impossible.  Nothing 
makes  any  difference — I  love  him.  I  can't 
help  that,  but  I  can  help  giving  up  to  it. 
I  will  get  over  it — I  will.  And  I  never, 
never  will  let  him  know  it.  He  is  good — 
he  is  different.  He  would  never  feel  this 
way  to  me.  It  is  just  friendliness  in  him, 
and  his  way — his  beautiful,  fascinating  way. 
He  would  despise  me  for  this.  I  will  die 
before  I  will  let  him  know  it."  She  shiv- 
ered. "That  at  least  I  can  do — never  let 
him  find  out.  That  I  promise." 

As  the  whispered  words  fell  from  her, 
with  a  quick  rustling  the  door  opened, 
and  Annette  Clinton's  hand  was  on  her 
shoulder. 

"Evelyn!  I'm  glad  you're  still  dressed. 
Come  down  at  once.  Some  one  is  waiting 
for  you  under  the  oleanders.  You  mustn't 
keep  him.  Come." 

Evelyn  faced  her,  solemn  and  tragic. 
167 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

"What  do  you  mean?  Who  is  it?"  she 
demanded. 

Mrs.  Clinton  hesitated;  she  was  bursting 
with  the  news.  "The  Governor,"  she  said, 
with  an  effort.  "  Something  has  happened 
— he  wants  to  see  you." 

Evelyn,  shaking  with  her  own  thoughts, 
reflected  a  moment.  She  was  afraid  to 
trust  herself  just  yet.  "I  don't  think  I 
can  see  him,"  she  said.  "It  can't  be  any- 
thing. To-morrow  will  do." 

Mrs.  Clinton  had  an  inspiration.  "  Eve- 
lyn, don't  be  cold-blooded.  He  is  in  trouble 
and  needs  you." 

Lindsay,  his  eyes  on  the  front  door  of  the 
hotel,  saw  his  cousin  appear  against  the 
light,  a  silhouette  of  an  extremely  chic 
fairy,  and  behind  her  the  swaying  figure 
of  the  girl  he  loved.  Annette  was  talking 
volubly  as  they  came  up  to  him  stand- 
ing in  the  shadows  to  meet  them.  She 
168 


MRS.  CLINTON  APPEARED  AGAINST   THE    LIGHT,  AND  BEHIND 
HER    THE    GIRL    HE    LOVED" 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

gave  a  soft  little  shriek  as  she  made  him 
out. 

"  You  frightened  me.  What  do  you  think, 
General?  I  have  a  crick  in  my  shoulder- 
blade,"  she  rippled  out,  in  clear-cut,  infantile 
tones.  "Aren't  you  distressed  to  hear  it? 
What  do  you  think  I  had  better  do?  Now 
don't  advise  a  porous-plaster — it  would  look 
so  badly  with  a  low  dress,"  and  she  slipped 
her  scarlet  -  embroidered  sleeve -band  and 
glanced  at  her  shoulder  like  a  naughty  cock- 
atoo. 

Lindsay  did  not  hear  a  word  she  said. 
He  stood  breathless,  looking  at  the  white, 
dim  figure  beside  her,  the  eyes  shining  at 
him  through  the  darkness.  Mrs.  Clinton's 
voice  stopped  short  in  the  middle  of  a  sen- 
tence, and  she  tipped  her  delicate  head  tow- 
ards one  and  the  other. 

"I  think  I  can  do  more  good  somewhere 
else,"  she  remarked,  and  with  a  flutter  and 
169 


u 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

rustle  she  was  gone  across  the  broad  stone 
terrace. 

In-doors  the  band  played  a  dashing  two- 
step,  an  endless  round  of  dancers  floated 
past  the  windows;  out-doors  the  two  were 
all  alone  in  the  world.  Evelyn  suddenly 
knew  that  her  hands  were  held  in  a  close 
grip  which  appeared  to  be  the  end  and 
meaning  of  living,  and  it  seemed  that  a 
voice  like  music  was  saying  words  like 
heaven.  Her  unwilling  conscience  stirred 
drowsily. 

"  Don't !"  she  said,  as  if  the  word  hurt  her. 
"Don't!  You  mustn't!  It's  wicked!" 

Neither  of  them  remembered  just  how  he 
told  her.  He  had  dreaded  it,  planned  it,  for 
days,  and  it  seemed  to  take  about  three 
words  and  about  two  minutes.  To  Evelyn, 
half  an  hour  before,  the  situation  had  been 
so  complicated  that  nothing  could  ever  clear 
it,  and,  behold!  at  a  sentence,  at  a  touch, 
170 


A    KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

it  was  simple  as  breathing  and  clear  as 
crystal. 

Dance  after  dance  went  by,  and  the  peo- 
ple poured  out-of-doors  in  intermissions  and 
poured  back  again  as  waltz  or  two-step 
called  them.  More  than  once  a  couple 
drifted  to  the  iron  bench  under  the  olean- 
ders, and  seeing  it  occupied,  smiled  and 
drifted  away  again.  But  it  was  too  dark 
for  the  sharpest  eyes  to  distinguish  who 
they  were,  and  the  lovers  did  not  notice, 
hardly  even  saw  them.  After  a  while  car- 
riages rolled  up  and  the  broad  terrace  was 
filled  with  their  lamps  and  horses  and 
movement,  in  long  succession.  Group  af- 
ter group  came,  laughing  and  talking,  out 
of  the  glare  of  the  hallway  and  got  in  the 
carriages  and  were  driven  away.  The 
dance  was  over.  Evelyn  awoke  to  the 
fact. 

"We  must  go  in.  Every  one  is  gone. 
171 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

What  have  I  been  thinking  about?  What 
have  you  been  thinking  about?" 

Lindsay  told  her,  and  his  words  were  to 
the  point.  "  But  don't  go  in  for  five  minutes 
yet,"  he  pleaded.  "It  is  early.  See,  there 
are  people  under  the  arches.  Some  one  is 
walking  across  the  terrace.  I  hope  they  are 
not  walking  this  way."  His  arm  tightened 
as  if  to  keep  her  against  all  comers. 

"They  are."  Evelyn's  eyes  were  the 
quicker.  "It's  Mrs.  Clinton  and  Mr.  Ogil- 
vie." 

"  The  devil !"  was  Lindsay's  welcoming  re- 
flection. 

"Do  you  know  how  long  you  young 
persons  have  been  here?"  inquired  Mrs. 
Clinton's  voice,  with  a  stern  and  elderly  in- 
flection, from  the  near  distance.  "  Just  two 
hours  and  seventeen  minutes." 

Lindsay  laughed.  He  was  very  fond  of 
Annette.  He  thought  a  lot  of  Ogilvie. 
172 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

Every  one  on  earth  was  good  and  kind. 
There  was  nothing  in  particular  to  say,  so 
he  laughed  again,  and  in  the  sound  was  that 
claim  of  his  on  the  friendliness  of  the  world 
which  the  world  always  honored.  Ogilvie 
put  his  arm  around  his  shoulder. 

"By  Jove,  Lindsay,  old  boy!"  he  said, 
and  patted  the  other  man's  coat,  "I'm 
sorry  our  game  is  up.  You're  the  chief  for 
me,  true  or  false.  I  believe  you  could  get 
good  work  out  of  me  if  you  would  only  keep 
the  job.  It  knocks  me  out  to  think  of  you 
reduced  to  the  ranks." 

Lindsay's  hand  searched  for  Ogilvie's  in 
the  darkness.  "Don't  condole  with  me, 
Teddy,"  he  said;  "I've  got  all  I  want  on 
earth,"  and  out  of  the  dimness  came  a  joy- 
ful crow  as  Mrs.  Clinton  flew  at  the  silent 
girl. 

"  Of  course,  I  knew  it,  but  I  dassn't  say  it 
out  loud . ' '  Then  suddenly  the  cheerful  tone 


A     KIDNAPPED     COLONY 

glided  into  a  dirge.  "Poor,  poor  Evelyn!" 
she  moaned ;  "  she  wouldn't  marry  '  an  Eng- 
lishman or  a  liar,'  and,  behold!  an  imitation 
Englishman  and  a  monumental  liar!  Too 
bad!  too  bad!" 

Evelyn  Minor  laughed.  "  Don't  you 
think  you'd  better  save  that  sympathy  ? 
You'll  need  it  more  some  other  time," 
she  said,  and  there  were  uncertain  catch- 
es in  her  voice,  as  if  it  were  hard  to 
talk. 

But  Mrs.  Clinton  might  not  be  side- 
tracked. "And  poor  Jack!  poor  Jack!" 
the  finished  accents  went  on,  as  of  a  wise 
and  cosmopolitan  baby.  "How  are  the 
mighty  fallen!  A  dream  of  glory,  a  week 
of  splendor !  Love  and  power  on  the  cards, 
and  to  draw  only  love!  To  come  down  to 
this — to  be  a  governor,  and  then  to  finish 
by  being  just  engaged  like  any  other  man ! 
— to  an  every-day,  human  girl — the  ordi- 
174 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

nary  garden  white  girl  of  North  America! 
Only  love!  Poor,  dear  Jack!" 

Lindsay  turned  with  a  quick  movement 
and  caught  his  sweetheart's  hand  brazenly 
before  them  all,  and  his  eyes  were  misty  as 
he  looked  at  her. 

"  Only  love !"  he  repeated.  "  Only  every- 
thing!" 

The  week  of  brilliant  madness,  of  suc- 
cessful impossibility,  lay  just  behind  them ; 
through  the  breakers  of  almost  certain  hu- 
miliation his  boat  had  ridden  in  on  a  wave 
of  undeserved  good  -  fortune ;  such  an  ex- 
perience might  never  be  in  his  life  again; 
yet  the  whole  dramatic,  dashing  episode  was 
an  incident,  blurred  already  in  the  dazzling 
sunlight  which  outshines  all  other.  ' '  All  for 
love  and  a  world  well  lost,"  is  an  old  tale, 
but  not,  for  that,  untrue.  Lindsay's  four 
words  may  have  been  the  result  of  a  theory 
or  of  a  condition,  but  it  makes  a  prettier 


A    KIDNAPPED    COLONY 

fairy  story  to  believe  it — and  there  are  men 
and  women  who  believe  such  things  —  a 
lasting  condition.  It  is  pleasant  to  think 
that  another  generation  will  surely,  as  they 
repeat  the  half-credited  legend  of  the  Amer- 
ican Governor  of  Bermuda,  finish  with  the 
gracious  sentence  by  which  all  proper  fairy 
stories  end,  "And  so  they  lived  happily 
ever  after." 


THE    END 


